Rightly or wrongly, Manchester City have proven particularly astute sellers when it comes to their academy assets, with recent years having seen the Etihad side rake in a profit on players they have developed in-house.
During their glittering success under Pep Guardiola previously – which notably saw the club win four Premier League titles in a row – few could contend with any such sales, with the Citizens marching on regardless.
Now, however – and somewhat conveniently – those decisions are coming under the microscope amid the champions’ sticky season, particularly with Guardiola and co now in need of a squad overhaul to freshen up their ageing ranks.
The obvious case that has come under scrutiny is the decision to cash in on Cole Palmer back in the summer of 2023, with journalist Rory Smith among those to have questioned the decision to sell “someone who might be the best player in the Premier League for £40m”.
Since departing the Etihad, Palmer has chalked up 60 goals and assists in just 79 games for his new side. In that same time frame, Phil Foden, for instance, has registered 56 goal involvements for the Citizens.
Whether the 22-year-old would have flourished quite so successfully had he stayed put in Manchester remains to be seen, with the Englishman now part of a growing list of ex-City stars who are operating in the Premier League.
Man City's academy graduates in the Premier League
Palmer is the most notable academy graduate who is now shining elsewhere in the top-flight, although he may have even been overshadowed by a certain Morgan Rogers of late, with the Aston Villa star looking particularly lively on international duty.
Sold by City for just £1m back in 2023, the midfield machine was praised by Three Lions legend, Glenn Hoddle, for his “wonderful” performance against Latvia, having also been likened to a young Wayne Rooney for his powerful display.
That latest outing has come following a stunning season back at Villa Park for Rogers, with the 22-year-old contributing 19 goals and assists for the Midlands side.
Elsewhere, Ipswich Town talisman Liam Delap – who left City for £20m last summer – has scored ten league goals for the Tractor Boys, with the England youth star now being touted with a potential move to Stamford Bridge at the end of the season.
Already operating for the Blues is Jadon Sancho, who left the Etihad back in 2017, as well as another academy graduate in Tosin Adarabioyo, with the towering centre-back having impressed since making a free transfer switch from Fulham last year.
Phil Foden
Man City
£109m
Cole Palmer
Chelsea
£109m
Michael Olise
Bayern Munich
£54m
Morgan Rogers
Aston Villa
£42m
Brahim Diaz
Real Madrid
£38m
Romeo Lavia
Chelsea
£33m
Rico Lewis
Man City
£33m
Liam Delap
Ipswich
£29m
Jadon Sancho
Chelsea
£25m
Felix Nmecha
Borussia Dortmund
£23m
There could well be another familiar face set to join the names mentioned above in the near future, with rivals Manchester United looking to pounce on one of those to have been discarded by Guardiola’s side.
The ex-Man City star who could be on his way to Man Utd
As well as those competing in the Premier League already, there are other high profile talents who have gone on to flourish abroad, since featuring in the City youth ranks at one stage.
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Michael Olise and Brahim Diaz – who scored against City earlier in the campaign – are two such figures, while a perhaps lesser-known quantity is Felix Nmecha, with the 24-year-old currently on the books at Borussia Dortmund.
The towering midfielder – whose brother Lukas also previously played for the club – was allowed to depart on a free transfer back in 2021, having made just three first-team appearances under Guardiola.
That switch to Wolfsburg was followed by a move to another Bundesliga side, Dortmund, in 2023, with Nmecha having been earmarked as the replacement for Real Madrid-bound Jude Bellingham.
Fast forward just over 18 months, and the word is that the 6 foot 3 ace could be on his way back to Manchester to join up with Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford, with recent reports indicating that the Red Devils are interested in making a summer move.
The three-cap Germany international is deemed to be valued at around €48m (£40m), amid such interest, with United viewing him as a perfect replacement for the likes of Christian Eriksen and Casemiro in the centre of the park.
What makes Nmecha so appealing is his apparent likeness to the man he replaced at Dortmund, with he and Bellingham both towering, box-to-box midfielders who have shone for the Bundesliga side. Indeed, the official Bundesliga website described them both as ‘equally versatile midfield operator[s]’.
The two men are particularly alike with regard to their ability to drive forward with the ball from deep, with Nmecha ranking in the top 15% of midfielders in the Champions League for successful take-ons per 90 this season, while Bellingham is just ahead as he ranks in the top 6% in that regard.
A successful take-on is recorded when a player beats their opponent by directly carrying the ball past them while retaining possession.
Equally, that composure in possession is also showcased by the fact that Nmecha has a pass completion rate of 89.4% in Europe, with his Madrid counterpart again only just ahead, on 89.9%.
Not that Nmecha has hit such heights as the England star, but for City to have let a player of that mould move on for nothing, it could certainly come back to bite them – not least if he goes on to shine at Old Trafford.
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