Pep Guardiola reveals Cole Palmer seeks two-season exit from Manchester City before securing Chelsea contract.
When questioned about the decision to let Palmer go, Guardiola shrugged, indicating uncertainty.
However, he clarified that the 21-year-old had expressed his desire to depart the Etihad Stadium long before securing a move to Chelsea.
“He’s an exceptional player,” Guardiola told a news conference.
“I said many times, I didn’t give the minutes that maybe he deserved and now he has at Chelsea. I understand completely.
“He’s a shy guy with a lot of potential. It is what it is. He’s playing fantastic so what can I say? The decision has been made for many reasons.
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“He was asking for two seasons to leave and I said stay. He said he wanted to leave.
What could we do? I said stay because Riyad [Mahrez] is gone, but for two seasons he wanted to leave.”
City face Palmer’s Chelsea in the FA Cup semifinals at Wembley on Saturday as they look to bounce back from their Champions League exit to Real Madrid.
Guardiola expects Kevin De Bruyne to be available despite coming off against the Spanish giants, but Erling Haaland will be monitored ahead of the game after he was also substituted against Real Madrid.
“Kevin feels well,” Guardiola said. “With Erling, we will see.
It was a tough game, 120 minutes. A lot of action, high intensity from both sides.
“Erling felt something, a muscular issue, and that’s why he said he could not continue.
Kevin felt exhausted and after what happened with an injury for five months, that is normal.”
Palmer made a significant move to Stamford Bridge in a £42.5 million ($53m) deal during the summer transfer window.
Since then, he has emerged as one of the standout signings of the season, impressively notching up 23 goals across all competitions, with an impressive 20 in the Premier League alone.
