Could it be surprising transfer news? Manchester City (Man City) is preparing to break the British transfer fee record to acquire Chelsea ace.
According to the British 'Sport Bible' on the 23rd (Korean time), citing Spanish 'Pichajes', Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, strongly wants the return of Cole Palmer (23, Chelsea) and Manchester City is preparing £147 million (approximately 274.5 billion won) for this.
£147 million would be the highest transfer fee record for a British club in many ways. The previous highest transfer fee for a British club was £116 million (approximately 216.6 billion won), which Liverpool paid Bayer Leverkusen (Germany) to acquire Florian Wirtz.
It could also become the highest transfer fee for a player of British nationality. The previous record was set in 2023 when Jude Bellingham transferred from Borussia Dortmund (Germany) to Real Madrid (Spain) for £115 million (approximately 214.7 billion won).
Additionally, the highest transfer fee record between British clubs could be broken. It would surpass the £105 million (approximately 196.1 billion won) record set when Declan Rice transferred from West Ham United to Arsenal in 2023.
Naturally, the record for Manchester City would also change. The previous highest transfer fee paid by Manchester City was £100 million (approximately 186.8 billion won) when they acquired Jack Grealish from Aston Villa in 2021.
Palmer is a product of Manchester City's youth system. He caught attention when he made his debut under manager Guardiola's direction in 2021. However, Palmer did not secure a starting position in the competitive Manchester City first team and transferred to Chelsea in 2023.
Palmer recorded 43 goals and 29 assists over a total of 97 matches while wearing a Chelsea jersey. Last season, he played a total of 52 matches, scoring 18 goals and providing 14 assists, becoming an ace.
Palmer led his team to victory in the UEFA Conference League this season, and notably performed remarkably with 3 goals and 2 assists in 6 matches during the recently concluded FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, providing the trophy to his team.
Then came news that Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), the Champions League winners, is interested in Palmer. There were reports that they could pay the world’s highest transfer fee to acquire Palmer.
Now, Premier League club Manchester City has stepped in. They are preparing a huge offer to acquire Palmer. Specific figures have already emerged.
The team desiring Palmer is Manchester City, which holds fond memories of him from his youth. Moreover, manager Guardiola wants to bring him back "by any means necessary."
Manchester City lost the throne to Liverpool, led by manager Arne Slot, last season. They are now looking to build a squad to regain the Premier League title.
To this end, Manchester City has already acquired Rayan Ait-Nouri, Marcus Bettinelli, Rayan Cherki, Tijani Reijnders, and Sverre Nypan this summer. Key midfielder and Ballon d'Or winner Rodri is also recovering from injury and awaiting his return.
Guardiola praised Palmer in March, stating, "We already knew his talent. The impact he has shown this season has been tremendous," adding, "It's not just about goals and assists. His skill set is different. He is truly a threatening presence at Chelsea. I will never forget him in the future. It looks easy, but it is not."
Meanwhile, Manchester City will play a friendly match against Palermo (Italy) on the 10th of next month, and will kick off the 2025-2026 season with their Premier League opener against Wolverhampton on August 17.
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