Cole Palmer 'wouldn't pass' to Man City player in training and Pep Guardiola let them both go within two years

Cole Palmer would not always pass to a Manchester City teammate during his time at the Etihad and Pep Guardiola has overseen both players leaving the club.

Palmer came through the youth team ranks at City and made his senior debut back in 2020.

The attacker was part of the City squad which won the treble in 2023 after claiming the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.

His last act in a City shirt was netting the equaliser in the UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla, which Guardiola's side won 5-4 on penalties following a 1-1 draw.

In September 2023, Palmer was transferred to Chelsea for an overall fee of £42.5m - a price which appears to have been a bargain in the modern transfer market.

Palmer has established himself as a key player at Stamford Bridge and scored 43 goals in 97 games across all competitions for the London club.

The 23-year-old has helped Chelsea win both the UEFA Conference League and the newly expanded FIFA Club World Cup, the latter of which concluded last weekend.

Palmer scored twice in a 3-0 victory in the final over Paris Saint-Germain, with summer signing Joao Pedro also on the scoresheet, as Chelsea won the Club World Cup for the second time.

Cole Palmer in action for Manchester City. (Image: Getty)

When he was at City, Palmer was the only young player at the club who did not pass to legendary midfielder Kevin De Bruyne when he called for it.

Former City defender Joleon Lescott told the High Performance Podcast: "Pep knew Palmer had something special because he doesn’t pass to De Bruyne when he asks for the ball.

"Pep knew he got personality because in training if young lads come up, and then Kevin shouts for the ball, even if it’s not on [for a pass], they would try to pass to him.

"Cole doesn’t do that. If there’s something better on for Cole and the team, that’s what’s happening, not that Kevin needs the ball."

Palmer has impressed since joining Chelsea (Image: Getty)

And as things have transpired, Guardiola has now overseen both Palmer and De Bruyne's departure from the Etihad Stadium, with the Belgian playmaker since joining Serie A champions Napoli on a free transfer this summer upon the expiry of his City contract after it was not renewed.

After moving from Wolfsburg in 2015 for a reported £55m, De Bruyne went on to net 108 goals in 422 City appearances across 10 seasons for the club.

De Bruyne's trophy haul in that time included six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, five League Cups, the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.