Pep Guardiola told he must sell two stars or risk Cole Palmer situation happening again

Ex-Manchester City defender Bacary Sagna has warned his former club to keep young talents and offload older players instead.

Sagna has urged Pep Guardiola to avoid selling promising prospects like they did with Cole Palmer to Chelsea last summer and instead consider selling more experienced players such as Kevin De Bruyne and Ederson. The decision to sell Palmer to Chelsea – a direct rival – raised eyebrows last year.

The debate around him has only grown since then, given the attacker's impressive goal tally in west London and his standout performances for England from off the bench at Euro 2024. At the time, the £42.5million fee that City received for Palmer seemed steep, but he has more than justified that price.

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Now, City have been warned not to let other young talents slip through their fingers, or they could find themselves in a similar situation. Sagna believes that the key to retaining young players is to give them opportunities, which were few and far between for Palmer at City – and if ageing players were sold, more opportunities would open up for their stars of the future.

City are not short of promising talent - Oscar Bobb and Rico Lewis have both had significant first-team experience over the past few seasons and have shown promise, reports the Mirror.

However, Sagna suggests that selling players like De Bruyne and Ederson could create space for younger players to be nurtured or purchased, just as Palmer has flourished at Stamford Bridge.

Speaking with Paddy Power, Sagna said: "Manchester City may need to bring