Cole Palmer could line up for Chelsea against Arsenal in the Premier League on Tuesday night but could have been on the other side had things gone differently

Mikel Arteta has gone back to Manchester City to build his squad - but Cole Palmer is the one that got away.

Chelsea midfielder Palmer, 21, has been a revelation since his £40m move to Stamford Bridge last summer and it must make a few Arsenal fans think what might have been. But the truth is that after selling Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko to Arsenal for a combined total of £85m, it is highly unlikely City would have gift wrapped another signing for a title rival.

Palmer could come face-to-face with Arsenal at the Emirates on Tuesday night if he is fit enough. And Mauricio Pochettino has already said his team must prove they are “not the Cole Palmer team” if he does not make it.

That was the tag that Pep Guardiola once gave Tottenham when Harry Kane was at his peak, branding them the “Harry Kane team.”

It is easy to see why with Palmer.

He has got 20 goals this season in the Premier League, could win the Golden Boot and, by Chelsea’s big spending standards, has been an absolute bargain.

Chelsea have pulled off a masterstroke. Mind you, other clubs were bidding £20m last summer before Chelsea moved in. Brighton were heavily linked at that price.

So maybe Chelsea paid a Chelsea tax - and still got a bargain. He would have fitted into Arsenal’s system, too. An attacking, creative midfielder with an eye for goal who could play in different roles.

Arsenal did sign Kai Havertz for £65m and got themselves a top player who has grown into the season. And don’t doubt Jesus’s quality and what he has done for Arsenal since joining two years ago. When you sign a title winner and a proven player, he lifts standards.

Jesus was a transformative player while Zinchenko also brought in extra quality and versatility as left back, inverted left back and a midfielder when needed.

But when Arsenal did show an interest in Joao Cancelo when it was obvious that City were going to sell, it was clear that they would not let him join the Emirates exodus.

City boss Guardiola always has a very open attitude towards allowing players to leave. If they want out, he lets them go. He said last week that Palmer wanted to leave for two years as he was frustrated.

But would Palmer have got so much game time at a different club? Who knows.

At Chelsea, he has played every week, been superb and scored goals. Palmer has revelled in being the big star and has looked every inch a player of top quality who will surely be in England’s squad for the Euros. But with players as much as managers, so often it is about being at the right club at the right time to maximise your worth.

Maybe Arsenal will look to upgrade with another centre forward signing this summer. And potentially they will look to improve their left back options. But it is hard to believe either Jesus or Zinchenko will be sacrificed.

Have no doubt that Jesus and Zinchenko have more than played their part in Arsenal’s rise - and that is a reason why City probably could not have let Palmer join the Gunners even if they had wanted him.