KOMPANY MERGER
Manchester City in talks with Anderlecht to loan out their promising youngsters to Belgian giants
The return of Vincent Kompany to Belgium could be the first step in a link- up between Manchester city and anderlecht.
Sportsmail can reveal city have been in talks with anderlecht for months about setting up an informal arrangement.
as part of it, the Belgian side would become one of city’s clubs of choice when they send young players out on loan.
Defender Kompany announced on sunday that he will leave city after 11 years to take over as player-manager at his first club.
In his open letter explaining his decision, the 33-year-old revealed how anderlecht sports director Michael Verschueren and technical director Frank arnesen had sold him their vision for the club in talks during the season.
city have also discussed a
tie-up with former chelsea and tottenham director arnesen.
city believe the Belgian league is an ideal place to expose promising youngsters to senior football.
Sportsmail understands the idea of identifying and buying young players — who city believe are not quite ready but could make the grade in the future — and loaning them to anderlecht to develop has cropped up in talks.
If the player progresses as expected, city would recall him. city insist they are not purchasing anderlecht and adding them to their city Football Group stable.
the cFG is made up of Manchester city, MLs side new York city, australia’s Melbourne city, Japanese outfit Yokohama Marinos, Uruguay’s club atletico torque, spain’s Girona Fc and chinese club sichuan Jiuniu.
along with Dutch side nac Breda they also have affiliate clubs in america, spain and Venezuela. city’s head of sports science sam erith is likely to reject a role with Kompany at anderlecht.
head of academy coaching simon Davies is weighing up an offer to make the switch to the Belgian club’s first-team set-up.
Former city defender Joleon Lescott, who is part of the backroom team supporting young players out on loan, said he had spoken to Kompany about sharing players.
city boss Pep Guardiola last night confirmed at the club’s victory parade in front of 100,000 fans in Manchester that he expected Kompany to return.
‘We are going to see him in the future because he’s going to come back,’ Guardiola said.
club sources believe Kompany can take on any role thrown at him on the football or business side of their operation.
Kompany added: ‘I can’t tell you how proud of that I am. In the end, I hope I will see every one of you again. I want september’s testimonial to be a celebration.’