Brighton & Hove Albion are reportedly interested in signing Manchester City youngster Cole Palmer.
The England Under-21 international won the treble with the Sky Blues last season but only started seven games across all competitions, of which only two came in the Premier League. Despite this, Pep Guardiola has no intention of selling the talented youngster this summer, so he is open to allowing him to leave on loan.
According to The Telegraph, Brighton and Hove Albion are leading the race to sign Cole Palmer on loan from Manchester City but face competition from Championship side Leicester City, who are now coached by former Pep Guardiola’s assistant manager Enzo Maresca.
Palmer, 21, recently demonstrated his talent at the Under-21 European Championships, helping England win the tournament. The creative midfielder scored once and supplied three assists to finish as the tournament’s joint-top creator alongside teammate and Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White.
With City having made Palmer available on loan, there is also interest in his services from abroad, the report adds.
Cole Palmer to Brighton—Good option?
Roberto de Zerbi’s Brighton will play in the Europa League in 2023/24 after enjoying a fantastic season in the Premier League last term, finishing sixth in the table as a result.
The Seagulls have not wasted much time in strengthening their squad this summer, with the likes of Joao Pedro, Mahmoud Dahoud, James Milner, Adrian Mazilu and Bart Verbruggen all arriving at the Amex Stadium so far. Yet, De Zerbi wants more reinforcements before the 2023/23 campaign kicks off and is understood to be eyeing a move for Man City youngster Cole Palmer
Having already strengthened the attacking unit with the signing of Joao Pedro in a club-record deal, bringing in Palmer on loan would make the Seagulls even more potent in the final third, as the City youngster is a creative footballer and has a knack for scoring goals. Due to the presence of world-class players such as Kevin de Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez and Phil Foden, the 21-year-old has struggled for regular game time at City.
But at Brighton, he should get regular opportunities to showcase his talent and develop his game under an astute manager like De Zerbi. The Italian tactician has overseen the progress of some sublime talents in a short span of time at Brighton, and there is no reason why Palmer cannot benefit from working with him.
De Zerbi replaced Graham Potter at the Amex Stadium in the midst of last season and quickly instilled his principles and ethos within the squad. Going by how his Brighton team played in the second half of last term, Palmer should thrive in various attacking roles. The youngster is ready to compete for a spot in the starting XI after helping the Three Lions triumph in the Under-21 European Championships earlier this month.
At 21 when Palmer needs to start playing regularly and develop different facets of his game, a move to Brighton on a season-long loan makes a lot of sense.