He begged: Gaurdiola speaks on why Man City sold Palmer to Chelsea ahead of FA Cup clash

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola in a recent statement has given reason the club permitted their star player Cole Palmer to join Chelsea.

Gaurdiola revealed Man City reluctantly sold Palmer to Chelsea for £42.5million last September.

According to the Citizens boss, the England international begged to leave for two years.

The 21-year-old who is set to face his ex-team-mates in their FA Cup semi-final tie on Saturday has gone on to be one of the most impressive players at Chelsea this season.

Amid the Blues woes this season, the attacking midfielder has scored 23 goals and created 13 assists across 38 matches for Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

He also scored fours goals in Chelsea 6-0 win over Everton in the Premier League on Monday and would hope to shine against his former club when they meet at Wembley for the second time in two months.

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Speaking on why Man City sold Palmer to Chelsea, Gaurdiola suggested he didn’t want the midfielder to leave as he said:

“He was asking for two seasons to leave,” Guardiola explained. “I said, ‘no, stay’. But he still said, ‘No, I want to leave’. What can I say?

“Cole is the decisive player of the season. Playing that level is exceptional. But we travel to Wembley looking to win this game, and see what happens.”