MANCHESTER CITY have dominated the Premier League over recent seasons – thanks to mammoth spending and a world-class academy.
The City Football Academy continues to bring through a seemingly never-ending conveyor belt of talent.
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Some stars – such as Phil Foden – have broken through into the first team at the Etihad.
While others – including Cole Palmer and Liam Delap – have moved on, arguably prematurely, for hefty transfer fees.
SunSport has investigated if there could be a tinge of regret at City for letting some youngsters go.
Palmer, Delap and Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers all feature in this XI the club had in the building – but chose to let go.
According to Transfermarkt values, the star-studded team is now worth over £460million combined.
James Trafford – £15.2m
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The England under-21 goalkeeper joined Burnley for £15million in July 2023 after six years in the Etihad Academy.
Trafford is a penalty-saving machine and recently denied Sunderland’s Wilson Isidor twice from the spot in the same game.
The 22-year-old has helped make the Clarets the best defence in the Championship this season, conceding just 9 goals in 27 games.
Pedro Porro – £38m
Originally bought in as an 18-year-old youth team prospect in 2019, Porro never made a first-team appearance for City.
He was shipped out on loan and eventually landed at Sporting Lisbon for a fee of £17.4m.
Now rated at more than double that price, Porro is back in the Premier League with Spurs as a first-team regular.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis – £21m
Hailing from Stockport, Harwood-Bellis was snapped up by City at the age of just 6.
He was a rock in defence as City made the FA Youth Cup final in 2019 and made his debut for the first XI later that year.
After a successful loan move to Southampton last season, he was bought by the Saints after their promotion for £20m.
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Tosin Adarabioyo – £16.9m
Adarabioyo was spotted by City’s head of recruitment Terry John when he was just 5 years old.
He spent 13 years in the academy but appeared in just four senior games for the club.
Tosin established himself as a Prem regular at Fulham last season, before switching to Chelsea in the summer.
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Romeo Lavia – £33.8m
City tempted Lavia to sign into their Academy as a raw but talented 16-year-old.
He joined from Anderlecht and within a year was training with the first team.
Looking for regular football, he joined Southampton and earned a big-money move to Chelsea a year later, penning a mammoth seven-year deal.
Injuries may have derailed his progress, but Lavia remains one of the Prem’s hottest prospects.
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Felix Nmecha – £16m
Nmecha was born in Germany but joined the City academy at the age of just 7.
He starred in all age groups but was controversially let go by City when his contract expired in June 2021.
Nmecha went back to Germany, where he impressed for first Wolfsburg and is now a regular at Dortmund.
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Jadon Sancho – £25.3m
An Academy media darling, Sancho joined City from Watford as a 15-year-old and was fast-tracked into the senior setup.
But after failing to get playing time, Dortmund swooped to land the prospect for a cut-price £8m.
Sancho’s career has not taken off as anticipated since a £72m switch back to Manchester with City’s rivals Utd in 2021.
He is still contracted to the Red Devils, but is currently away on loan at Chelsea where he’s netted 2 goals in 15 games this term.
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Michael Olise – £55m
Olise serves as a missed opportunity for City, Arsenal, and Chelsea.
All three had the winger on their books before he was allowed to join Reading in 2017.
Olise has since progressed into one of Europe’s most exciting playmakers, earning a £50m move to Bayern Munich from Crystal Palace last summer.
Cole Palmer – £110m
Palmer could yet prove to be City’s biggest mistake after the club let the forward leave for £40million in the summer of 2023.
The 22-year-old had already broken into the first team at the Etihad when the Blues came knocking, but had been unable to secure a regular first-team spot.
He has since thrived with both England and Chelsea since making the move south.
Palmer has scored 36 goals in just 54 games for Chelsea, adding 17 assists.
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Morgan Rogers £33.8m
Rogers was snapped up from West Brom after starring in the 2019 FA Youth Cup semi-final.
He was farmed out on loan to various EFL clubs before landing at Middlesbrough in 2023.
Rogers, still only 22, has come on leaps and bounds over the past two years.
He joined Aston Villa for a reported £15m and is enjoying a breakthrough season, netting 6 times in 21 games.
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Liam Delap £21.1m
City brought in Delap from Derby in 2019 after his impressive goal record for England’s youth teams.
He made his first team debut in September 2020, before successful loans with Stoke, Preston and Hull.
With no route into the first team anytime soon, Ipswich swooped for Delap after their promotion to the Premier League.
The powerful striker committed the next five years to the Tractor Boys and has 8 goals already this season.
