With the dominance that Manchester City have shown in the Premier League in recent years, it seems difficult for youngsters to break into Pep Guardiola’s starting XI. One player that could break that trend is Cole Palmer, with the 21-year-old playing his part for City in recent years on a rotational basis. The winger started in the club’s UEFA Super Cup clash against Sevilla, and netted the equaliser for City, as they went on to win the trophy on penalties. That was his second goal of the season, having scored the opener against Arsenal in the Community Shield not so long ago.
Palmer made his first-team debut back in 2020, when he featured against Burnley in the EFL Cup. He then netted his first senior goal just shy of a year later, when he found the back of the net against Wycombe Wanderers in the same competition. In the last couple of years, he’s kicked on with the Premier League champions, and is one player to keep an eye on for the 2023/24 season.
Competition for places is fierce in the Manchester City squad though, with the likes of Jack Grealish and Phil Foden being just some of the names that are keeping Palmer out of the starting XI on a regular basis. Therefore, some have questioned whether Palmer’s development would be best served out on loan for the 2023/24 season.
The England youth international hasn’t been short of options either, with West Ham United being the latest club to register their interest in Palmer. It doesn’t seem as though Pep Guardiola is willing to loan the youngster out though, with the Manchester City boss revealing that he’ll either stick with the first-team, or be sold permanently.
“I don’t know [if he will stay]. When we arrived I had the opinion that he wanted to leave but now I don’t know. I don't think a loan is going to happen. He's going to stay or he's going to be sold."
Palmer has recently revealed that he’s focused on his football, rather than listening to rumours about his future.
“I have no idea; I just want to play football. So whatever the best decision is when we speak together, that is what I will do. Obviously the best scenario is to stay at City and play but obviously you know what the competition is like, if they bring someone in – I don’t know.”
It’s been revealed by experts at mybettingsites.co.uk that Manchester City are priced at 4/6 on BetUK to win the 2023/24 Premier League title. Below, you’ll find the betting odds on BetUK for the rest of the title contenders this season.
- Manchester City @ 4/6
- Arsenal @ 9/2
- Liverpool @ 9/1
- Manchester United @ 11/1
- Chelsea @ 16/1
- Newcastle United @ 16/1
- Tottenham Hotspur @ 66/1
Odds displayed are correct as of 3:40 pm, Thursday 17th August 2023. Odds are subject to change.
It’s set to be an interesting few weeks ahead in the summer transfer window for Palmer, especially if West Ham’s rumoured interest is to eventually result in a formal bid for his services. He’s got a tough decision to make, especially given that he’s already featured in Pep Guardiola’s plans for the Manchester City first-team, but you have to question whether he’ll be getting the regular game time that he needs to flourish at the highest possible level.
West Ham already have some strong options in wide areas themselves, with Said Benrahma and Jarrod Bowen occupying starting spots in David Moyes’ squad, so it’ll be interesting to see where Palmer would fit into his plans this season and for the foreseeable future if a move was to materialise before the summer transfer window reaches a conclusion.