Enzo Maresca has cleared the air regarding Cole Palmer’s exit from Manchester City, insisting his old club never questioned the youngster’s obvious talent.
As Softfootball points out in their breakdown of the transfer, the midfielder simply couldn’t squeeze into Pep Guardiola’s packed starting eleven, which ultimately pushed him to make the switch to Stamford Bridge.
That move has paid off massively for everyone involved. Palmer completely transformed the Blues’ attack, finishing last season as their top scorer and walking away with the Best Young Player award after a stellar debut campaign in West London.
Speaking to TNT Sports, Maresca made it clear the exit had nothing to do with a lack of quality on the ball. He explained that City’s squad was just too deep to give everyone fair minutes on the pitch.
The Italian boss stressed that nobody at the Etihad thought Palmer wasn’t good enough; there simply wasn’t enough room for him to develop properly at his former club.
