Manchester City could not deny Cole Palmer a move to Chelsea after the winger told the club he wanted to leave, according to Pep Guardiola's assistant.
Juanma Lillo is standing in for Guardiola, who is recuperating in Barcelona after back surgery, and will take charge of Saturday's game against Fulham.
And the Spaniard admitted that Palmer's desire was too strong for City to resist, with Chelsea parting with £42.5million for the England Under-21 international.
'This is the reality: it's very difficult to go against a player's wishes,' Lillo said.