Manchester City 'will not sell Cole Palmer on permanent deal'

Pep Guardiola is currently in the process of adding a number of world-regarded players to his squad, the expectation being that Josko Gvardiol will follow Mateo Kovacic in moving to the Etihad Stadium.

With at least one new full-back being required, more fresh faces are likely to come through the door, yet Guardiola also has decisions to make over a number of his fringe members.

Palmer falls into that category, the 21-year-old one of the standout names to progress from the academy setup in recent years without cementing himself in the first team.

A total of 12 starts and 26 substitute appearances have been made in all competitions, with four goals and two assists being contributed during that time.

Palmer's versatility in the final third has proven to be an asset to Guardiola at times, while he has also excelled on the international stage with England Under-21s.

However, once he finishes representing the Young Lions at the European Championships, discussions will be held over the next phase of his career.

Regardless of how those talks go, Football Insider claims that neither City officials or Guardiola are prepared to consider the sale of Palmer.

Palmer is said to have an admirer in Guardiola, who seemingly plans to hand him more minutes in 2023-24, although it is plausible that the stance may change in due course.

Much may depend on the offers that City and Palmer receive this summer, with Brighton & Hove Albion allegedly among his suitors ahead of their participation in the Europa League.

That said, it seems that City would only consider a straight loan deal for Palmer should the Seagulls be forthcoming with an offer in due course.

City have just started the process of finding homes for their younger talent with Liam Delap having signed a season-long loan deal at Hull City.

The Premier League champions must also decide on the futures of Tommy Doyle and James McAtee, players in a similar bracket to Palmer but have just spent the season helping Sheffield United earn promotion to the Premier League.