Man City agree €15m deal for ‘right-footed Cole Palmer’

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Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

Accredited football journalist and editor covering the game since 2006

Manchester City have agreed to pay €15 million for a rising teenage star who has been branded a right-footed regen of Cole Palmer.

Palmer started his career in the City academy, but his departure and subsequent explosion at Chelsea is one of the great regrets of the Pep Guardiola era at the Etihad Stadium.

While the Blues star now insistent that he is not seeking a move back to Manchester, City are closing in on Troyes’ Mathys Detourbet, who has been strongly compared with the England international star.

Current ETV

Mathys Detourbet

F, M (L)

Troyes

Mathys Detourbet

F, M (L)

Troyes

€2.6M

ETV Range

€2M - €3.1M

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Detourbet to Man City for €15m

According to transfer specialist Sacha Tavolieri, City have reached an agreement worth €15 million to sign Detourbet from Troyes in the summer. However, the 18-year-old will be sent back on loan to potentially gain experience in Ligue 1, should ESTAC win promotion.

Of course, this deal was always likely to be a smooth affair given that the two clubs both fall under the City Football Group’s ownership.

It will also be the second major deal conducted between the teams, with Savinho having left Troyes for €25m in 2024 to move to Guardiola’s side.

Why City are spending €15m on Detourbet

Detourbet has been one of the standout players in France’s Ligue 2 this season, playing a major role in putting Troyes into a strong position to win the league.

While his numbers look unspectacular for an attacker - two goals and six assists in 29 appearances – he has caught the eye with his overall technical level, and in particular his passing and dribbling.

“His approach is reminiscent of Cole Palmer: a winger with above-average technique, dazzling vision, capable of beating defenders in tight spaces and creating danger from any position,” Foot Mercato reports.

“He is a player whose impact goes far beyond statistics thanks to his explosive pace and already well-honed dribbling skills.”

Although his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) sits at only €2.6m, Troyes have already turned down an approach worth a total €10m from Roma last summer. City Football Group are determined not to squander his talent too early, as they did with Palmer and, to a lesser extent, Wilson Odobert, who also impressed during a spell with Troyes.