Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer admits his intention of staying at Manchester City

LONDON: Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer stated that he wanted to stay at his boyhood club Manchester City but was told by the club to go on a loan deal or leave on a permanent transfer.

The English midfielder made a stunning £40 million deal with Chelsea on Deadline Day last summer and has fared well in the different shade of blue.

Palmer has proven to be one of the season's best signings, quickly becoming a crucial player for Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino, scoring eight goals and assisting four times in 16 Premier League outings.

His efforts have been a huge positive for the club amid a difficult season. His efforts allowed him to break into Gareth Southgate's England squad. However, the 21-year-old talked about his move away from Manchester City, where he had only played three Premier League games after coming through their development academy.

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

Palmer received enormous praise from Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino, who recently stated that he has the potential to match former Real Madrid and Manchester United attacker Angel Di Maria. "What a player (Maria). Obviously, it's high praise, but I'm a long way away from it," Palmer said of the comparison.

Palmer has already developed a tight relationship with Pochettino and has been pleased by the Argentine's man-management abilities. I've noticed about him that with everyone he's the same, the cooks, the physios, us [the players]. He asks you questions and he's genuinely interested. It's brilliant," the former Manchester City player concluded.