Cole Palmer is proving £42m Man City transfer decision was right

When Cole Palmer left Manchester City for Chelsea in the summer, there will have been one fixture he looked for above all others when he assessed his new schedule. That fixture comes this weekend, as Palmer returns to the Etihad with a point to prove.

Palmer had played a supporting role over the previous two seasons, stepping up permanently from the academy last year. He looked bright in the cups, but often struggled to take his chance in the Premier League when given late cameos here and there. He seemed like a young player torn between expressing himself and suppressing those natural attacking instincts in favour of recycling possession as Pep Guardiola would like.

The winger played a starring role in England's U21 European Championship win over the summer, and returned to City with key equalisers in the Community Shield and UEFA Super Cup. He was ready to step up, but knew that opportunities at the Etihad would continue to be limited. The writing was on the wall when he hinted at leaving after that Super Cup win in Athens.

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Come deadline day, and the decision was made. Palmer had an acceptable offer from Chelsea, and City didn't stand in his way. It was a real shame to be losing a player of his quality and potential, but all parties knew deep down that Palmer wouldn't get the game-time he wanted if he stayed. £42m represented decent value for a player with only three Premier League starts.

Palmer left City with 41 appearances and six goals to his name, but none in the league. After his famous FA Cup goal at Swindon in 2022, he said