Brighton manager Roberto de Zerbi says he attempted to sign Cole Palmer from Manchester City last summer.
Attacking midfielder Palmer has been a key player for Chelsea this season following his £42.5m move from City in September 2023.
The 22-year-old has scored 21 goals and chipped in with 10 assists in 31 Premier League games before Chelsea’s penultimate fixture of the season against Brighton on Wednesday.
De Zerbi said that had he got his way last year Palmer would be lining up for the Seagulls against Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
“We tried to bring him in the transfer market last summer. We thought he could be a top player,” De Zerbi told a news conference.
“The qualities of Palmer are clear for everybody, but not when he played for Manchester City. This season he is playing very well, he is scoring a lot of goals.”
De Zerbi also warned his Brighton players to be aware of the threat posed by England international Palmer when his side face the Blues at Amex Stadium.
“The quality of Palmer is very high,” he said. “He’s a problem for us tomorrow because he can start in the winger position and come inside or [play as] a number 10 as well.”
