Cole Palmer has scored eight goals for Chelsea so far (Photo: Getty)
Pep Guardiola must have ‘egg on his face’ after selling Cole Palmer to Chelsea following his ‘phenomenal’ start to the season.
That is the opinion of former Blues forward Chris Sutton who reckons the Manchester City manager made a rare mistake in axing the young England star.
It was expected that this was be a big season for Palmer who had helped theYoung Lions win the U21 Euros last summer and looked set to finally breakthrough into the City starting XI.
The attacking midfielder/winger scored in both the Community Shield and UEFA Super Cup in August, before making a shock deadline day move to Stamford Bridge in a deal worth over £40million.
He has unquestionably been Chelsea’s best player this season, with eight goals and six assists so far for his new club, though his efforts haven’t been enough to elevate Mauricio Pochettino out of mid-table.
Nevertheless, the decision to sell such a promising young homegrown talent was always a strange one, and one that Sutton believes Guardiola will regret.
‘If you’re a Manchester City supporter you’ve got to be thinking Pep was nuts to let him go with the talent which he has,’ the former striker said on the It’s All Kicking Off! podcast.
Palmer had been at Man City for 13 years prior to the move to Chelsea (Photo: Getty)
‘Pep rarely gets egg on his face but it looks like this time he’s got it wrong. He really does. Palmer has been phenomenal in a struggling Chelsea team.’
Jamie Carragher was equally full of praise for the 21-year-old, including him in his Premier League Team of the Season so far, though unlike Sutton did not believe it was a ‘mistake’ by City to sell him.
‘You say you can’t pick a certain player because the team hasn’t done so well, but that for me almost elevates Cole Palmer. His performances this season, he’s been Chelsea’s best player by a mile, which is not too difficult,’ the Liverpool legend told Sky Sports.
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‘I wouldn’t say a mistake from Man City, because would he have got in ahead of [Phil] Foden or different players?
‘But he’s been one of the best players of the season. He’s not just lucky to get in the team, he’s been one of the best players in the Premier League this season.’
Palmer could next be in action on Saturday when Chelsea host Championship side Preston in the FA Cup third-round.
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