Chelsea attacking midfielder Cole Palmer has admitted it was “weird” to leave Manchester City after spending 15 years at the club.

The 21-year-old sealed a £42.5m switch to Stamford Bridge before the transfer window closed at the start of this month, and Palmer has revealed it has taken some time for his departure from the Etihad to sink in:

“It was a huge decision. When I left the training ground on the Thursday I knew I was going to London the next day. It all just hit me, sat in the car and going to drive out. I was just thinking, ‘you’ve been here 15 years’.”

“I don’t know any different. I’ve never been on loan. I’ve never moved out of Manchester. The only time I’ve ever been outside of Manchester is on holiday or away games. Going there does feel weird, but there is no time to waste. I’ve got to get to it.”

Palmer confirmed that the main reason for leaving the Premier League champions was down to his desire to play more games.

Guardiola could not guarantee Palmer the minutes he wanted

It is believed that Palmer asked for a meeting with manager Pep Guardiola over the summer to discuss his playing opportunities.

Fans will know that Guardiola doesn’t play favourites and he has never given guarantees about game time to any player, even the most senior ones. The lack of any assurances consequently led to Palmer pushing to leave.

Palmer could have been better off staying at City

While Chelsea have recruited an extraordinary number of young players, there is undoubtedly a lot of instability at the club.

Whether Palmer will get the guidance he needs at the Blues to develop, it remains to be seen. He may regret leaving City where he could have flourished if he was willing to be more patient.

Watch this video on Shots! TV reviewing Manchester City and Manchester United’s  transfer window