MY ACCOUNT
Manchester City have produced a world-class talent in Phil Foden and his rise to the top will be an inspiration for those trying to follow in his footsteps.
The blue half of Manchester are known for spending big in the transfer market but with financial fair play rules becoming increasingly tight, they will have to turn to their academy on some occasions.
We take a look at five players to keep an eye on who have come through the champions’ youth system.
Cole Palmer
Cole Palmer’s quality shone through in the 2021-22 season as he scored in four cup competitions, including the Champions League.
The departure of Gabriel Jesus has allowed him the platform to demonstrate his ability and he has been rewarded with seven Premier League appearances in the current campaign.
In 61 appearances for City’s youth teams, he scored 42 times and provided 19 assists — an incredible return.
He will continue to develop under one of the best managers in the world and is capable of playing anywhere across the midfield.
James McAtee
Fear surrounded the club when James McAtee was said to be considering his future in Manchester having failed to accrue much game time.
But a sharp U-turn saw the 20-year-old sign a new contract until 2026 and he is spending the current campaign on loan at Sheffield United.
The attacking midfielder has made 17 league appearances for the Blades and has scored once as they look to gain promotion back to England’s top flight.
McAtee recorded 42 goal contributions in 46 Premier League 2 appearances last season and is under the watchful eye of Guardiola as he assesses the ageing areas of his first-team squad.
With Kevin de Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan still making up the core of the midfield, it is unlikely that he will get much of a look in while they are at their peak — but nothing lasts forever in football.
Luke Mbete
Standing at 6ft, Luke Mbete is not the tallest centre-back you will ever see but his ability is what separates him from the rest of the crop.
He was a regular substitute for the first team last season due to the injury crisis that saw both John Stones and Ruben Dias sidelined, although he is yet to make his Premier League debut.
Now on loan at Huddersfield, Mbete is struggling to find his feet in the lower tier and has only appeared six times for the Terriers.
He has not been included in the squad for eight of the 16 games he has been at the club for, which may be a cause for concern.
However, the London-born powerhouse has shown that he can dominate with the Under-21s and there is no doubt that he has the ability to become an elite defender.
Liam Delap
Liam Delap may have missed his opportunity to already be an established first-team player at Manchester City.
The 19-year-old scored on his debut in 2020 but picked up an injury that saw his game time limited.
Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez both joining the club suggest that Delap would have to pull something special out of the hat if he is to get anywhere close to the starting XI in the foreseeable future.
Despite this, Delap — the son of throw-in king Rory — is keeping his head down and working hard on loan at Stoke, who are currently 17th in the Championship.
Three goals is not the return he would have liked but gaining an education in the bruising second tier should stand him in good stead.
Tommy Doyle
Tommy Doyle is already famous among City fans as he is the grandson of former legend Mike Doyle.
He made his full debut for the club in October 2019 but has always been in and out of the squad and has been sent on loan for each of the last two seasons.
Having spent time at both Hamburg and Cardiff in 2021-22, Doyle is another to have been sent to Sheffield United, where he has 13 Championship appearances.
He finds himself in a similar position to McAtee, where the quality of City’s starting squad is almost impossible to displace.
But should he inspire United to promotion, Doyle could be handed more opportunities in a City shirt next season.
