“If City win the double and not the treble, it isn’t because Cole Palmer wasn’t there” - Ex-Manchester City star on club missing Chelsea star

Former Manchester City star Joleon Lescott opened up about Cole Palmer leaving the Etihad Stadium for Chelsea in the summer of 2023. The England international was sold for a reported initial fee of £40 million.

The move to join the Blues seemingly stemmed from the fact that Palmer wasn't getting enough minutes at Manchester City. During the 2022/23 season, he made 25 appearances across competitions, bagging a goal and an assist while enjoying just two league starts.

When asked about the 22-year-old attacking midfielder on The High Performance Podcast, Lescott said:

"It was a combination of both, he (Palmer) wanted to leave and they wanted to sell. I don't think it was anyone's sole decision. My belief is that if Cole Palmer stays at Man City, he doesn't go to the Euros. So it wasn't a bad decision by him.

"Pep knew how good he is. I don't think that was a thing. It was just the case of 'you're not going to feature as much as you want for me'. And Palmer was like he'll go feature somewhere else."

He added:

"If City win the double and not the treble, it isn't because Cole Palmer wasn't there. The system that Man City and Pep has created, I don't think they're going to miss any one player."

Palmer did move away and enjoyed a brilliant first season with Chelsea, bagging 27 goals and 15 assists across competitions. He's currently away with England at Euro 2024, with only the final against Spain remaining.

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Cole Palmer asks to leave Chelsea in search of Champions League football- Reports

Chelsea and new manager Enzo Maresca could have a problem on their hands if Cole Palmer could be pushing for a move away from Stamford Bridge. According to Express, there is speculation that the midfielder is asking to leave in search of Champions League football.

Of course, the Blues are going through a bit of a rebuild and only managed a sixth-place finish in the Premier League last season. However, signing the English star will not be easy and is set to cost a massive fee, with him being tied down at Chelsea till the summer of 2030.

Should a move of such nature take place, it would be a huge blow to Palmer's current employers, who do not have an attacking midfielder of the player's profile. The west London side start their new league season against Manchester City on August 18.