Manchester City have turned down Chelsea’s opening offer for Cole Palmer, according to The Guardian reporter Jacob Steinberg.
The Blues reportedly tabled a bid worth £35m but the journalist claims the treble winners deemed the amount insufficient:
Chelsea have had a £35m bid for Cole Palmer rejected by Manchester City #cfc #mcfc
— Jacob Steinberg (@JacobSteinberg) August 30, 2023
Whether Chelsea will return with a second proposal for Palmer in the coming hours, we shall have to wait and see.
It is believed that the Blues want to sign a winger before the transfer window closes on Friday evening. Former City Youth Chief Scout Joe Shields is currently at Chelsea and he knows Palmer well from his time at the Etihad.
Shields reportedly recommended Palmer and manager Mauricio Pochettino has signed off on the plan to pursue the England Under 21 international.
Palmer has been praised by a former City player
Joleon Lescott paid tribute to Palmer when the 21-year-old scored against Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup earlier this month. The Ex-City defender claimed that there are still kinks to iron out in the youngster’s game but he is clearly a player with massive potential:
“Like any young player, you need to give them time and understand they’re not going to get it right every time. Cole Palmer is not going to score every week. There are going to be opportunities when he needs to learn about failing and coming through that adversity and becoming a top professional to match his ability because once he moves those two things together there will be no stopping him because he’s an exceptional talent.”
City’s decision to sign Doku could force Palmer to leave
Despite impressing in both the Super Cup and the Community Shield at the beginning of this season, the player has made it clear that he will only stay with the Citizens if he gets regular game time.
The Premier League champions’ decision to pay €65m (£56m) to bring in Jeremy Doku from Rennes does suggest that Palmer may have to move elsewhere to get the minutes he wants.
