CITY Bright young stars must see pathway to first team
THE case of Jadon Sancho could prove a watershed moment for City.
Interest from Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham could bring matters to a head – not just for the 17-yearold, but an entire generation of prospects emerging from one of the most celebrated academies in Europe.
Sancho is currently in talks over a new long-term deal that City believe will fend off rivals.
But while they are said to be confident that an agreement will be reached with the teenager, the offer of a lucrative contract will only form part of the negotiations. Convincing him that there will be a pathway to the first team will be pivotal.
City’s football factory has provoked envious glances from Premier League rivals – and no shortage of mischievous whispers as well.
But as impressive as their state-ofthe-art facilities are – and for all the promise of an emerging crop of talent, who are rolling over opponents at all levels – they will ultimately be judged by the number of players who make that breakthrough.
As Phil Neville put it recently: “City have overtaken United, getting the best in the area. My lad was at City and I’m not going to criticise them – fantastic coaches there – but I sensed there was always that thing, ‘We’ve got the best academy,’ but can they get in the first team?” So far the answer is largely ‘no.’ Kelechi Iheanacho – the most exciting academy graduate to make an impression on the first team – finds himself a fringe player under Pep Guardiola, having made just five Premier League starts all season, the last coming against Burnley on January 2.
The £27m signing of Gabriel Jesus will further impact upon his chances, given Guardiola’s intention to continue to deploy a system of only one striker. Jesus has put Sergio Aguero’s future in doubt, let alone Iheanacho’s. Meanwhile, Tosin Adarabioyo – a centre-back of considerable potential – is out of contract at the end of the season, with negotiations over a new deal continuing to drag. City are faced with the prospect of handing an unproven 19-year-old a lucrative new deal or losing him, and facing the fallout of failing to provide a pathway for a genuine home-grown product.
Adarabioyo could follow in Jason Denayer’s footsteps as a centre back of promise, who has paid the price for City’s outrageous spending in that department in recent years.
Had the likes of Matija Nastasic Eliaquim Mangala or Nicolas Otamendi proved unmitigated successes, the potential loss of Adarabioyo would be slightly more palatable.
It can be argued that the class of Sancho, Brahim Diaz and Phil Foden is the brightest yet. But it is not so simple. With Guardiola’s arrival has come shift in strategy.
Instead of procuring established global stars, City have focused on the superstars of tomorrow.
In Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling – 21 and 22 respectively – Guardiola has tied up both wings for the long term. By the time Sancho is 18, the players blocking his path will still be kids. Jesus is only 19, while 20-year-old Marlos Moreno is another forward bought with an eye on the future.
Academies are so much more than just production lines for the first team. They are industries in their own right, providing players who can bring in considerable income in transfer fees.
In that sense, the success of City’s academy cannot be solely judged on those who end up in Guardiola’s first team plans.
In Sancho, however, they believe they have a player who can do just that.