Cole Palmer might need a loan move to better prepare him for city’s starting XI
The young English player is already well-known among the club supporters and many bloggers and pundits have referred to him, along with Phil Foden, to be Manchester City’s next top talent. He is currently viewed as the club’s future and given the talent he possesses one can say that city’s future appears promising.
After a couple of exciting seasons in the reserves, the 20-year-old began to grow on the fanbase. Pep Guardiola found his skill along with his professionalism, to be sufficient, and he soon made his first-team debut. The young player was nearly scoring a goal per game for the under-21s while also providing a hat trick of assists.
He has made 28 appearances for City’s first team since being promoted, scoring in his Champions League debut. Palmer has mostly played off the bench, but he has performed well enough to win the manager over and secure a spot on the first-team roster.
Palmer has been performing well when given the opportunity, but some may believe that the youngster would benefit from more high-level playing time. With only 15 appearances as a late-game substitute, the Englishman may not be able to realize his full potential.
He does fit into Pep’s philosophy because he is a versatile player who can play both in the middle of the park and on the wings. Palmer might find it challenging to receive more opportunities given that City’s manager has a long list of players who are currently at the top of their games and excelling in those positions.
Chances could become even more scarce as City finds themselves in a challenging title race this season. Palmer has demonstrated his talent numerous times this season, but it may be time for him to do so consistently. As a young footballer, going on loan is the best way to do this.
A loan in the Championship would allow Palmer to hone his physicality and even though Pep Guardiola’s constant coaching would be advantageous for him, Palmer may still need to start playing more football to have a greater impact on the team as constant game time allows players to develop their skills.
The second division offers the ideal setting for such moves and there are many examples of young midfielders improving while on loan. Palmer might be able to compete for a starting XI spot with the bigger boys at city if he goes to the right loan club and enough playing time.
There is still time to make a move in the January transfer window, and Cole Palmer might be better served by spending the second half of the year somewhere else to get used to the Premier League’s rigors.