Cole Palmer might be getting more from £42million Chelsea transfer gamble than Man City

Eyebrows were raised when Cole Palmer chose Chelsea as the place he was going to get the regular games he wasn’t getting at Manchester City.

If he was to leave City, which was a fair decision to make given his place in the pecking order at the Etihad, he would surely have chosen a club with less competition than he was facing. Chelsea have collected expensive wingers and forwards for the last two years, with Palmer adding to their expensive collection on deadline day. It was a huge risk on his part, however confident he is in his own abilities.

As it turns out, Chelsea might be a perfect club for Palmer, against all odds and logic, as he has emerged as a regular starter for Mauricio Pochettino at the start of the campaign. Palmer began the season at City with vital goals in the Community Shield and UEFA Super Cup, along with a message to the club that he was still not happy with his playing time.

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As the transfer deadline approached, Palmer left for Chelsea for a £42m fee City felt they couldn’t refuse for a homegrown player not guaranteed to start many games. As their transfer policy goes – if you want to leave and can present an acceptable offer, City will let you go. Palmer took the gamble that being a new, big-money signing at Chelsea was better than being back-up at City for another season.

So far, his gamble has paid off more than City’s has in letting him leave. Palmer has already started five games for Chelsea, compared to seven in all competitions across the whole of last season for the Blues. His ‘Prem Soon Come’ prediction in January 2022 took a long 18 months to come to fruition, but he finally netted his first Premier League goal this month from the spot at Burnley.

Seemingly on penalty duties for his new club, the league goals came like London buses with a second strike from 12 yards in as many games against Arsenal. His two goals and one assist for Chelsea in eight games is already better than last season’s solitary goal and assist in 25 outings.

Playing in a central number 10 position for Pochettino, Palmer’s long-term relationship with Raheem Sterling is helping his swift adaptation at Stamford Bridge. Despite the disappointing result, Palmer was a bright spark in their defeat to Brentford on Saturday. His eye for a lofted ball into the area created a number of chances, and showed a player given freedom to play the risky passes that characterise his game rather than the more possession-based approach of Pep Guardiola.

Similar to his emergence as a reliable penalty-taker, Palmer was simply not allowed to show those talents at City. Erling Haaland was better from the spot than him (even if City still have a lingering penalty issue), and there was a long list of players who were better options at number 10 or on the wing.

Guardiola said this week that Chelsea will be challengers for the title before long due to their spending, and on the early evidence Palmer could have a role to play in that growth. City won’t be surprised at his form, and their own form has shown they can manage without him, but may rue letting him go given how he has started in the capital.

At the very least, Palmer left City to be in contention to start regular games. He’s getting what he wants, and is in a position to keep showing City what they could have had.