"I don’t think a loan is going to happen" - Pep Guardiola says Manchester City's UEFA Super Cup hero could leave permanently

Pep Guardiola has surprisingly claimed that Manchester City's UEFA Super Cup hero Cole Palmer could be permanently offloaded this summer.

Palmer, 21, has been with the club since 2009 and has a contract that expires in June 2026. He is one of the finest players to come out of their famed youth academy to still be playing for the club.

The Englishman has featured in all three games for the Cityzens this season, where he has scored twice. This includes a stunning long-range effort in his team's FA Community Shield loss (4-1 on penalties) against Arsenal.

Palmer played 10 minutes in the 3-0 league win against Burnley on August 11 and started in his team's UEFA Super Cup game against Sevilla yesterday (August 16). He made a telling contribution for the Cityzens, scoring the equalizer in the 63rd minute.

Manchester City went on to win the game 5-4 on penalties, securing the trophy for the first time in their history. Palmer, who was taken off in the 85th minute, wasn't a part of the shootout.

After the game, Guardiola claimed Palmer could depart the Etihad on a permanent basis this summer. He said, via Eurosport:

"The opinion I had is he wanted to leave, but now I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t think a loan is going to happen. He’s going to stay or leave, but I think a loan is not going to happen. I understand he wants to be more active than the previous season.

"But Riyad [Mahrez] has gone, so we have one more place there. I cannot say anything because, of course, all the decisions need to be made by the club."

Palmer played 25 times across competitions last term but only started on seven occasions.

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Manchester City continue pursuit of Lucas Paqueta and Jeremy Doku - Reports

Manchester City lost Riyad Mahrez and Ilkay Gundogan earlier this summer. They replaced the latter with Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea.

But they are yet to bring in a replacement for Riyad Mahrez. As evident from Pep Guardiola's aforementioned words, Cole Palmer's run in the first team is largely due to the Algeria international's departure to the Saudi Pro League.

According to the Telegraph, West Ham United are willing to sell 25-year-old Brazilian playmaker Lucas Paqueta to City for £85 million. But the Cityzens are yet to make a bid that satisfies their demand.

Another player on their radar is Stade Rennais' Jeremy Doku. As per the Guardian, the 21-year-old Belgian speed demon is reportedly nearing a £45 million move to the Etihad.

It remains to be seen if Palmer is sold before the September 1 deadline and if City get their hands on Paqueta and/or Doku.