Former Manchester City defender Bacary Sagna has urged his old club to avoid selling young talents like Cole Palmer and instead focus on offloading ageing stars such as Kevin De Bruyne and Ederson.
The decision to sell Palmer to Chelsea last summer raised eyebrows, especially given his impressive performances in west London and for England at Euro 2024. The fee received for Palmer may have seemed steep at the time, but the forward has more than repaid it.
Sagna warns that City could find themselves regretting similar sales of young talent in the future. He believes that providing opportunities for young players, something Palmer found lacking at City, is crucial to retaining them.
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City are not short of promising young players. Oscar Bobb and Rico Lewis have both seen significant first-team action in recent seasons and have shown promise.
However, Sagna suggests that selling older players like De Bruyne and Ederson could open up more opportunities for these youngsters, as well as freeing up funds to bring in new talent. This approach, he argues, would allow City to develop their own stars, having seen Palmer flourish since moving to Stamford Bridge.
Sagna, speaking to Paddy Power, remarked: "Manchester City may need to bring younger players in. Kevin De Bruyne and Ederson are ageing, and they've won everything. They've been playing for City for a long time and they might want to have a change.
"If I was City, I'd give a chance to more young players they have many who are waiting for their time to play and show how good they can be, such as Oscar Bobb.
"It could be a chance for Manchester City to bring in some fresh legs, and I personally think it could be good for De Bruyne and Ederson to move to Saudi Arabia."
The Etihad's youth academy has been a goldmine of talent, producing stars like Phil Foden, Jeremie Frimpong, and Jadon Sancho, all of whom have dazzled on the global stage thanks to their formative years at City.
Sagna points out that without giving room for the new generation, talents like these may never get their chance if older, established players continue to occupy their spots.
He suggests that selling seasoned players like Ederson and De Bruyne to clubs in Saudi Arabia could not only bring in significant transfer revenue but also open up opportunities for City's burgeoning young talents.
Liverpool.com says: Few saw Cole Palmer's meteoric rise coming when City sold him last summer but he has developed remarkably at Chelsea. Pep may be kicking himself that he let him go but there will be a desire to avoid a repeat with other younger players. The likes of De Bruyne and Ederson may be coming to the end but they still have a lot to offer, as they showed last season.
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