Cole Palmer’s breakout season at Chelsea continues to go from strength to strength, with the forward hitting a hat-trick in his side’s 4-3 win over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.
Having found himself on the fringes of the first team at Manchester City, Palmer decided to leave the Premier League champions last summer in search of opportunity.
That decision has been backed up by a series of sparkling performances in west London, with Palmer emerging as one of the stories of the season and breaking into the senior England squad.
The 21-year-old is not the first footballer to have thrived after leaving Manchester City in recent seasons, with some top talent taking an alternative route to prominence with the door slammed shut at the Etihad.
Four youngsters Manchester City let leave too soon:
Pedro Porro
Pedro Porro signed for Manchester City from Girona in 2019, arriving from the Spanish side in a deal worth £11m. The right-back was immediately loaned to Real Valladolid, before a two-season loan spell at Sporting Lisbon. That deal had an option included to make the move permanent, which Sporting activated for a fee of £7m after a run of impressive performances in the Primeira Liga.
Porro formed part of the team that won a Primeira Liga – the club’s first league title in 19 years – and Taça da Liga double in his debut campaign and evolved into one of the most effective wing-backs in Europe. During Sporting’s title success in 2020/21, he ranked among Portugal’s top players for chances created (4th), blocks (9th), touches (9th) and progressive carries (5th), while he recorded 13 league assists across two-and-a-half seasons.
OH MY ????
A moment of brilliance from @Pedroporro29_ for @SpursOfficial ????#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/XYtGcPcTf7
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) January 5, 2024
Tottenham signed Porro on an initial loan deal in January 2023 and after a slow start, the Spaniard has thrived in English football. He has provided seven assists for Spurs this season while ranking fourth in the Premier League for tackles won, second for dribblers tackled, and seventh for crosses. An influential option under Ange Postecoglou this season, the 24-year-old could have been a long-term successor to Kyle Walker at the Etihad.
Jeremie Frimpong
Another right-back who found Kyle Walker as a significant roadblock to first-team football, Jeremie Frimpong also left Manchester City without making a first-team appearance.
After a short but successful spell at Celtic, where he won a Scottish treble in 2019/20, Frimpong signed for Bayer Leverkusen for a fee in the region of £11m in January 2021.
He’s since developed into an excitement machine in the Bundesliga, flying forward with intent from wing-back to star for a Leverkusen team on the up. After being included in the Bundesliga Team of the Season last term, the 23-year-old has reached a new level in 2023/24.
Jeremie Frimpong has now scored more goals across all competitions this season (12) than his previous two campaigns combined (11).
Bayer Leverkusen’s flying wing-back. ⚡️#B04F95 pic.twitter.com/hdgVSm99By
— Squawka Live (@Squawka_Live) April 3, 2024
As part of an exhilarating full-back pairing with Alejandro Grimaldo, Frimpong has contributed 12 goals and 11 assists for a Leverkusen team who are unbeaten in all 40 matches played this season. Xabi Alonso’s side are within touching of a first-ever Bundesliga title, while Frimpong fired in the opener as Leverkusen beat Dusseldorf to reach the DFP-Pokal final this week,
His release clause (£34m) is expected to be triggered this summer with Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea all linked.
Michael Olise
Michael Olise spent time in the academies of Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City before joining Reading, with the winger leaving the Citizens after the 2016/17 season.
After taking his first senior steps in the Championship, Olise signed for Crystal Palace for a fee of £8m in July 2021. Last season, he set a new record for Premier League assists in a single season by a Palace player (11) and earned the Eagles’ Players’ Player of the Season and Goal of the Season awards.
Michael Olise with one of the great free-kicks from the 2022/23 #PL season ???? pic.twitter.com/Uc57MbSJRa
— Premier League (@premierleague) August 1, 2023
Chelsea and Manchester City have each expressed interest in re-signing the 22-year-old, who despite fitness problems has been an influential figure once again this term. He has averaged a Premier League goal or assist every 83 minutes when fit in 2023/24.
Cole Palmer
Cole Palmer continues to prove Manchester City’s decision wrong last summer when the Citizens handed the 21-year-old an ultimatum to leave permanently or fight for his first-team place. Palmer had asked for a loan move to find minutes but saw that request rejected.
Chelsea agreed a deal to sign Palmer on a permanent basis and have reaped the rewards of that show of faith. In an era of bad business for the Blues, Palmer has been a success story, scoring 16 league goals and providing eight assists in the Premier League this season.
Palmer just keeps adding to his highlight reel… ????????#CFC | #CheMun pic.twitter.com/BvoqpIuHU8
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 5, 2024
His form has earned Palmer a place in the England squad and he will be expected to travel to Euro 2024 this summer, where his innate self-confidence and composure from the penalty spot could prove useful in tournament football.
The catalyst of Chelsea’s best performances this season, he has often shone when others around have disappointed for Mauricio Pochettino’s side. Given the gap that opened up after Riyad Mahrez’s exit last summer and Jeremy Doku’s inconsistent debut season, there might just be regret at the Etihad for allowing the homegrown product to move on.
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