In the event that one ever harbors doubts regarding the transfer market decision of Pep Guardiola and Manchester City, one should mentally penalize themselves with a strike to the shins.

“He desired to depart.” Since each individual lives a unique existence, he chose to move on. Although I wished he had remained, he determined that he would be happier and more satisfied elsewhere.

Palmer Coles? Is it Jadon Sancho? Gabriel, Christ? Does Raheem Sterling exist? In this instance, it was Leroy Sane in 2020 who succumbed to the allure of the formidable Bayern Munich.

After a span of eighteen months, Ferran Torres found himself on the receiving end of the apex carnivores of Barcelona turning his head in a swivel. “Everyone who wishes to depart because they are dissatisfied here and believe they will find happiness elsewhere must do so,” Guardiola instructed.

We shall spare you the repetition, as the mantra remains consistent each time a Manchester City player departs. Unhappy or unsettled players are permitted to depart from this club under one fairly straightforward condition: the purchasing club pays the asking price.

Bernardo Silva is still in the club, not because his transfer was obstructed, but because no one was willing to pay the reported £80 million asking price. While Kyle Walker did not remain due to an obstruction in his departure, his teammates engaged in a concerted effort to retain him. Kalvin Phillips is still present, not because his exit was obstructed, but because he has not yet made an effort to depart.

Palmer defected to Chelsea due to the west London club’s apparent willingness to pay an inflated asking price considering his potential. Palmer, who assessed Mauricio Pochettino’s squad, which had recently finished 12th and lost Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, and Christian Pulisic, believed he would receive more first-team action. He was accurate.

Individuals who recommend Palmer (or more precisely, Guardiola) be modeled after Phil Foden ought to be aware that Foden, who turned 21 in the summer, had accumulated 124 appearances for City and was a fixture for England, earning him a spot in the European Championship squad. Palmer had appeared in 38 appearances for City at the age of 21. They were not even approaching the same velocity.

Guardiola is invariably asked whether he “regrets” selling Palmer, but his responses are as if the concept of regret were foreign to him. Despite Arsenal leading in the Premier League standings in January, he shrugged off the thought of later regretting the sales of Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jesus. “Why? “Since they are currently in the lead?”

“Both clubs reached a unanimous agreement,” while not catering to headline writers, maintains a certain degree of consistency. If he endures longer than Erling Haaland, he will undoubtedly repeat the following statement: each player’s utility is contingent solely on their desire to remain with the club.

In the event that one ever ponders the potential error of Guardiola and City in the realm of transfer policy, encourage oneself with a light leg jolt. While they have a track record of terminating costly contracts and selling successful players to other organizations, it is uncommon to find a situation in which they have been proven incorrect. Their transfer record is exemplary, with a net expenditure of approximately equivalent to that of Aston Villa during a five-year duration during which they have achieved four Premier League championships.

Palmer eventually amassing a cabinet brimming with mementos from his illustrious tenure with Chelsea would fill Guardiola’s mind with nothing but contentment. There will be no “what-if” scenarios, even if the Blues narrowly miss out on a championship against Manchester City, in which Palmer plays a significant role. Guardiola is well aware that City acquired Palmer for a price that was more than reasonable, as the player refused to remain. Guardiola is the epitome of pragmatism regarding transactions; each player, whether entering or leaving, carries a corresponding cost.

Guardiola refuses to go along with the media’s simplistic narrative sequences, which feature only positive and negative characters with managers harboring “regrets” and players having “points to prove.” He is the wildly successful coach of the European premier club with the most unified transfer policy. It is illogical for him to lose any sleep over the sale of bit-part performers.

Manchester City never accepts a player for less than they believe they are worth or spends more than they believe they are worth. One might find it exceedingly challenging to contest a policy that has contributed to their status as the preeminent team globally. Even so…