Shock news… Man City have an expensively assembled group of wonderkids. What do you mean that’s what you expected?! Strangely, perhaps, it is actually not the bought in talent that shines most at Man City, instead it is the locally sourced and developed talents who look set to push pressure on the City first team (if such a thing is possible).
By no means an exhaustive list of top tier talent, my chosen three doesn’t even mention Tommy Doyle, James McAtee, Taylor Harwood-Bellis nor any of a whole host of Premier League calibre prospects. It’s hard to break through at Man City, only Phil Foden and Ferran Torres managed over 1000 minutes as U23 players last season, but I expect the Premier League will soon be awash with Man City academy graduates.
At U18 level, the talent just continues to flow. Carlos Borges and Tai Sodje are pencilled in to be the starters in attack for a second straight year but both could easily be promoted to U23 duty depending on how players above them are used or loaned. Borges assisted 19 goals and scored 13 in a stunning season while Tai Sodje added 19 goals himself. Another big talent is Shea Charles and he may compete with Luke Mbete for a starting job at U23 level also.
No matter your thoughts on how it was funded or or issues people have with Man City there is no denying they have done a sterling job of amassing talent. Reigning champions of both youth leagues (as well the Premier League) they’ll be favourites once again even though they will likely end up with dozens of players out on loan.
| U23 Projected Starters | |
|---|---|
| Pos | |
| GK | Cieran Slicker |
| CB | Finley Burns |
| CB | Luke Mbete |
| RB | CJ Egan-Riley |
| LB | Callum Doyle |
| CM | Claudio Gomes |
| CM | Tommy Doyle |
| CM | James McAtee |
| RW | Cole Palmer |
| LW | Samuel Edozie |
| CF | Liam Delap |
| U18 Projected Starters | |
|---|---|
| Pos | |
| GK | Mikki van Sas |
| CB | Shea Charles |
| CB | Jadel Katongo |
| RB | Rico Lewis |
| LB | Juan Larios |
| CM | Darko Gyabi |
| CM | Harvey Griffiths |
| CM | Micah Hamilton |
| RW | Joel Ndala |
| LW | Carlos Borges |
| CF | Tai Sodje |
Players in Profile - Three to Watch in 2021/2022
Cole Palmer
- Position: AM
- Age: 19
- Nationality: English
England U19 international Cole Palmer had an incredible year at U23 level last season with thirteen goals and six assists in just sixteen appearances. Although he is often deployed wide on the right of an attacking three at youth level, Palmer lacks top end pace and thus projects as a central attacking midfielder at first team level. Playing with a similar style as Kevin De Bruyne, Palmer is an intelligent player who uses space well. He has a calm demeanor on the pitch and excellent technical ability. Unfortunately for Palmer the competition for places will be fierce - especially given his similarities to the already established Phil Foden - but the expansive midfielder will find his way to regular Premier League football someday.
Liam Delap
- Position: CF
- Age: 18
- Nationality: English
The cool-finishing Liam Delap got his chance in the Man City first team during the 2020/21 season, scoring against Leicester. He has long been marked out as an exciting talent, combining composed finishing with an excellent footballing brain. His runs are precise, link up play is crisp and his physical profile is perfect for a transition to Premier League football. With Man City “struggling” for options in attack, Guardiola has challenged Delap to force his hand this pre-season but a more likely outcome may be a high level loan move which will go a long way to testing whether he is as good as he looks at youth level.
Samuel Edozie
- Position: LW
- Age: 18
- Nationality: English
Signed from Millwall in 2019, Edozie has forced his way into first team reckoning during an excellent pre-season in 2021. The winger is incredibly quick and versatile, driving to either byline at will. He got five goals and two assists in his first season at U23 level which doesn’t sound outstanding on paper but Edozie has shown game breaking ability with his sheer pace and technique while finishing touches may be applied by others. He did show he is not all bluster and no end product during this pre-season as the England U18 international grabbed three goals in a shortened tour. Edozie can expect plenty of game time in cup competitions this season.