The 22-year-old has now shared what he said to his former City teammates right after his transfer to Chelsea was finalized. In an interview with *GQ*, the winger revealed that he had been asking City manager Pep Guardiola for years to let him go on loan to get regular playing time.
Palmer had hoped to break into Guardiola’s starting XI, but when it became clear this wasn’t going to happen—even after Riyad Mahrez’s departure to Saudi Arabia—he realized a permanent move was necessary.
Speaking to GQ, the winger revealed that he had been asking City manager Pep Guardiola to allow him to leave on loan for years so that he could secure regular minutes.
Palmer had hoped he would be able to work his way into the Guardiola’s starting lineup but when it became clear that this wasn’t going to happen, even after the departure of Riyad Mahrez to Saudi Arabia, he knew he had to leave permanently.
“I remember training on a Wednesday at City in the afternoon, and the news was ‘they’re trying to agree a fee,’” he told *GQ*. “Every time the ball went out, I’d ask the kit man or the doctor if they’d agreed the fee yet.”
By the end of that training session, the deal still hadn’t been finalized, forcing Palmer to give a quick farewell to his teammates over WhatsApp.
He added, “I didn’t really get a chance to see many people and say I’m going. I just had to grab my stuff. I messaged the group chat, saying, ‘Thanks and everything. I’m gone.’ That was it.”
Despite the abrupt goodbye, there appears to be no hard feelings between Palmer and City, as his former boss, Guardiola, has since praised his performances for Chelsea.
Speaking in February, Guardiola said, “After two or three seasons, he wanted more minutes than last season, and I completely understand. We knew his quality, and the impact he’s shown this season is huge. It’s not just goals and assists; it’s his overall quality. He’s an incredible threat for Chelsea. In the future, he won’t be forgotten. It may look easy, but it’s not.”
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