Pep Guardiola's comments on Chelsea star Cole Palmer don't sit well with Alan Shearer

Alan Shearer has expressed doubts over Pep Guardiola's claims suggesting he knew Cole Palmer's true potential. Although Manchester City agreed to sell the playmaker to Chelsea for £40million in 2023, Palmer's subsequent rise to prominence for club and country has made the move look like a bargain.

His former Etihad boss has maintained his faith in Palmer's abilities and said earlier this year: “If he plays regularly, yes. I had no doubts about his quality. The way he plays is that of a star player He wanted minutes, It was a question of time to show his immense quality.

Yet Shearer remains skeptical about whether City's bosses have truly grasped Palmer's potential. The Newcastle legend reflected on Palmer's recent two-goal masterclass in Chelsea's thrilling 4-3 win over Tottenham.

Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast (via The Mirror), Shearer said: “I wonder how Man City look at him now and his decision.” [to let him leave]… I know they had a lot of money for him, but I'm not sure they thought he would do the things he's doing, not at all.”

Host Gary Lineker then highlighted the financial aspect: “Well, they had a lot of money, but nothing like what it would be worth now.”

Former City defender Micah Richards also weighed in on the debate, adding: “At the time it was perfect for City. He was from the country, they got £40m, it's worth more to cause of [FFP] rules.”

At the time, it was widely seen as a shrewd deal, with many believing that £40 million was a reasonable price for a player who was primarily a substitute. However, Palmer's former boss could have taken a different approach, opting to send him out on loan for a further year to continue his development.

Fast forward to the present day and Palmer – who is now reportedly being courted by Real Madrid – has become an indispensable asset at Chelsea, who have closed the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool to four points.

After Palmer's two penalty goals, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca once again sang his praises, saying: “I've known Cole for a long time, I really trust him in every aspect.

“First of all, he's a fantastic boy, a fantastic guy and then, as I've said many times before, he's got to learn. He's learning to play when they mark him man-to-man. He's he's learning, he's improving, he's scoring goals, he's happy and we're all happy.”