Cole Palmer admitted his preference wasn’t to leave Manchester City in the summer but for being confronted with an ultimatum by the club.

Palmer had just scored in the UEFA Super Cup, lifting the trophy after a penalty shoot-out win over Sevilla. He had also been handed just 10 minutes in the Premier League opener against Burnley and 26 in the Community Shield final versus Arsenal, in which he also found the net.

He had made 25 appearances under Pep Guardiola last season, of which just seven were starts. The exit of Riyad Mahrez had raised hopes of gaining more game time this season but the arrival of Jeremy Doku caused Palmer to consider his next steps.

"My thing was to never leave City," he told Sky Sports in January. "That was not my intention. I wanted to go on loan for a year, come back and be ready for the first team.

"But they said I couldn't go on loan, either stay or you get sold. So then, Chelsea rang me. I said I wanted to go to Chelsea and I'm really happy to be here. I'm very glad I made the decision to come here."

Even Mauricio Pochettino has indicated he did not expect deadline-day recruit Palmer to reach the levels he has done at Stamford Bridge. He is now joint top of the Premier League scorers chart after his four-goal haul against Everton on Monday, level with former Man City teammate Erling Haaland on 20 goals.

Since his move to Chelsea, Palmer has earned his first two senior England caps and is now a certainty for Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2024 squad, barring injury. His 38 goal contributions this season are more than any Man City player so far and in his next four games will surpass the number of senior outings he was given at the Etihad Stadium.

After an unforgettable night in Monday’s 6-0 rout of Everton, Palmer indicated that he feels vindicated by his £45m transfer choice. He said: "To make the decision to come to Chelsea was a big one for me and my family, but I just wanted to play football. I’m thankful to Chelsea for the opportunity and I’m buzzing."

Having already scored a last-gasp penalty against his former club in November’s 4-4 draw, Palmer now gears up to face holders City in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on Saturday.

Palmer suffered heartbreak in the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool, so this is his last chance of silverware this season. He won the Treble with City last season but now has a chance to stop them doing it again, albeit the test will be tricky.

City are leading the Premier League and are hoping to see off Real Madrid at home in the second leg of their quarter-final bout while Chelsea are looking to secure European football with a top seven finish. The Blues have some work to do to catch up with City but on an individual level, Palmer has clearly made the right choice.

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