It looks increasingly likely that Manchester City will start the new season without two of the attackers who have played major roles in City's success in recent years.
Following Gabriel Jesus' £45m move to Arsenal, Raheem Sterling looks set to move to Chelsea for the same sum, after he agreed to personal terms with City's title rivals on Wednesday.
It's also sad to see important players leave, especially those who have played significant roles in City winning four of the last five Premier League titles and have given supporters countless unforgettable moments. But as is the case in all walks of life, the end of one things spells the start of something new.
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Cole Palmer's emergence in the first-team picture at City last season was spectacular, with the 20-year-old scoring in all three cup competitions and making four Premier League appearances. Were it not for a string of injuries in the second half of the campaign, he no doubt would have made an even bigger impact.
Finding minutes in City's attacking front-line, with all the superb talents at Pep Guardiola's disposal, is never an easy task for a young player. Phil Foden knows that only too well; it took the now-City regular two seasons of cameo appearances before he was able to properly make his mark.
Yet should City's summer transfer business pan out as it's now expected to, then Palmer will be presented with a unique and unexpected opportunity.
Last season the Wythenshawe-born attacker was some way down the depth chart of Guardiola's offensive options, but the departures of Jesus and Sterling mean that he will be City's second-choice right-winger, effectively playing understudy to Riyad Mahrez.
While City have not ruled out bringing in a replacement for either, the club previously had no plans to sign a new wide player as Guardiola is keen to advance Palmer's development.
While the incoming Julian Alvarez can play on the right flank, Palmer holds the advantage of already being au fait with Guardiola's system and the demands of English football. With the Blues as-ever looking to fight for the title as well as going deep in all three cups, Palmer can expect his game time to increase significantly on last season.
The current set of circumstances might even mean that Palmer has a clearer path to becoming a first-team regular than Foden ever did, despite arguably not being as talented as his fellow academy graduate.
That's because Mahrez has only one-year remaining on his current contract, and even if he does sign an extension, age is not on his side. The Algerian winger will be 32 by the end of the season, meaning that if Palmer plays his cards right he has every chance of being Mahrez's long-term replacement.
Many City fans will feel disheartened by the exits of Sterling and Jesus, but when you think about how City's front-line could potentially look as a result, it's hard not to get excited.
If Palmer reaches his full potential then he could help form a deadly home-grown front three with Foden and blockbuster signing Erling Haaland, both of whom have supported City since childhood.
If the prospect of Palmer emulating Foden and becoming a first-team regular - thanks in part to the space vacated by Sterling and Jesus - doesn't excite a City fan, then frankly nothing will.
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