Man City were 'absolutely mad' to sell Cole Palmer to Chelsea as PSG transfer move is emphatically ruled out

Pep Guardiola reluctantly agreed to part with a product of City’s academy system in 2023 when Chelsea tabled a £40 million ($54m) bid for Palmer. Full potential is being unlocked at Stamford Bridge, with the England international claiming PFA Young Player of the Year, Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup honours in west London while inheriting the iconic No.10 shirt.

There is the promise of even more to come from Palmer at 23 years of age, with Chelsea continuing to invest heavily in the transfer market as more pieces of an intricate puzzle are drafted in alongside their talismanic playmaker.

Quizzed on whether Palmer can go on to become a Ballon d’Or contender, former City and Chelsea defender Phelan - speaking in association with Bojoko.com - told GOAL: "I think so, if he keeps developing. But he has to do it for England as well. He has got to get a chance with England.

"I think he’s a wonderful player. Manchester City must have been absolutely mad letting him go. Pep would be scratching his head wondering ‘what did I do?’ A No.10, creativity, courage, wants to go forward, wants to light up the game, acts dumb but is very clever. He wants to bring other players into the game with that wonderful left foot.

"Beautiful player and I get goose pimples watching him. Remember Tony Currie and Liam Brady back in the day, and Graham Rix and John Robertson, that’s what he reminds me of - that flair, that guile, that swagger. I think he’s absolutely brilliant."

There has already been talk of Palmer attracting admiring glances from afar, with big-spending PSG said to be one of his many suitors, but Phelan added on unwelcome transfer rumours: "Why would you go to PSG? You’re playing in a league that is nowhere near the Premier League. You want to play in the best league in the world. He’s only a young boy.

"Does he need the money? It’s like saying ‘go to Saudi Arabia’. No disrespect to the French league, but you want to be playing against the best players in the world at a young age. You want to be playing against the best teams.

"If you turned around and said Barcelona, then that’s different. Or Bayern Munich, yeah. No disrespect to PSG, they are the best team in Europe because they won the Champions League, but deep down in those deep roots, you want to play against top, top quality opposition and the best players. He has shown that."

Palmer extended his contract with Chelsea last summer, with that deal now running until 2033. The Blues are under no pressure to sell and it would take an eye-watering bid for them to even consider parting with a creative influence that has been likened to Premier League title-winning club legend Eden Hazard.