Manchester City's willingness to do business with Chelsea for Cole Palmer two and a half years ago will forever go down as perhaps one that got away for officials at Etihad Stadium. At the time, a transfer fee in the region of £40m for a player on the fringes of first-team action and having only made a handful of appearances under Pep Guardiola seemed like remarkable business. Fast-forward to the present day, and Palmer is arguably the poster boy of Stamford Bridge and worth well in excess of double what Chelsea paid.
Manchester City's willingness to do business with Chelsea for Cole Palmer two and a half years ago will forever go down as perhaps one that got away for officials at Etihad Stadium.
At the time, a transfer fee in the region of £40m for a player on the fringes of first-team action and having only made a handful of appearances under Pep Guardiola seemed like remarkable business. Fast-forward to the present day, and Palmer is arguably the poster boy of Stamford Bridge and worth well in excess of double what Chelsea paid.
The running joke in various quarters has been how Chelsea often turn to City for rising talent in light of Palmer's success, having already brought in the likes of Romeo Lavia, Liam Delap, Tosin Adarabioyo and Jamie Gittens - who all have strong connections to the Etihad's academy production line.
But will we ever see anything of the sort in the opposite direction? Before the 2024-25 season, City secured the services of Ryan McAidoo from Chelsea's academy - a player with explosive speed and the versatility to operate across the front line.
Having trained with the first team frequently this season, McAidoo's real breakthrough moment came on Saturday. He put in a blistering performance that showcased his staggering left-footed abilities on the ball, his eye for a forward pass and his ball-striking skills in front of goal.
At just 17, McAidoo was one of the stars of the show as City dismissed Exeter City 10-1 in the FA Cup, offering real intent and a willingness to drive at his man, despite the obvious physical gulf and gap in experience between himself and his opposition number.
The perfect summary of the talent that got away from Chelsea perhaps came after the match, as Pep Lijnders told reporters, "He wants the ball constantly. When he faces goal he's so dangerous. We want these kinds of players. If you train early, they can adapt quicker to the first team. Ryan is serious."
Find more from Freddie Pye at City Xtra
Category: General Sports
