'He was asking for two seasons!' - Pep Guardiola reveals why he allowed Chelsea star Cole Palmer to leave Man City

Palmer has been a rare bright spot in a troubled season for the Blues following his big-money summer move from Manchester City. The 21-year-old has quickly established himself as a key player for Mauricio Pochettino's side with his impressive goals and performances and has also forced himself into the England reckoning ahead of Euro 2024.

Palmer joined Manchester City at the age of eight and came through the club's academy but opted to move on in search of regular game time. Guardiola has admitted that Palmer had been asking to leave for some time before he secured his transfer to Chelsea.

He told reporters: "‘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."

Guardiola went on to praise Palmer for his performances at Chelsea, adding: "Playing that level is exceptional. He's an exceptional player. 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."

Palmer has scored as many Premier League goals this season as Erling Haaland. The two players sit at the top of the Premier League's goalscoring charts with 20 goals each, one ahead of Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins.

Palmer will come up against his former team-mates on Saturday at Wembley Stadium when Chelsea take on Manchester City in the semi-finals of the FA Cup. The Chelsea star heads into the match in red-hot form with 11 goals in his last six games for the Blues.