However, if there is anything more exciting than that imminent prospect, it’s the long-term future of the Club...
City have been active in the transfer market this summer, bringing in some of the world’s most exciting young talents to complement our Academy stars, sewing seeds in a bid for success way beyond this upcoming campaign.
Gabriel Jesus, Marlos Moreno and Aleksandar Zinchenko are three such newcomers still in their teenage years and City’s Director of Football Txiki Begiristain believes that these captures have big futures ahead of them.
Begiristain told ManCity.com: “Our global network of scouts are working continuously to identify and recruit the best young talent on the planet to develop with our methodology and coaching here in Manchester.
“Equally important to us is bringing in the best local talent from here in Manchester - we have a clear idea on how we want our young players to play and so we identify footballers who we believe can play in this style, no matter where they’re from.”
As Txiki alludes to above, City’s goes far beyond bringing in the world’s best new professionals but also identifying, cultivating and polishing home-grown talent in the club’s youth Academy.
With our Academy teams producing unparalleled success across the age-groups last season, it’s clear that the club is blessed with talent both in the areas of coaching and playing talent, imbuing Begiristain with an excitement over what’s to come in future years.
“It’s been a really exciting summer for us, bringing in the likes of Gabriel Jesus, Marlos Moreno, Leroy Sane and Aleksandar Zinchenko, who we believe are some of the world’s best young players in their positions, as well as seeing our Academy develop talents like Tosin Adarabioyo, Angelino, Pablo Maffeo, Angus Gunn step up and look at home around the first-team setup.”
Some of these players have headed out on loan in the summer transfer window as they continue to broaden their footballing horizons. Moreno is with Deportivo La Coruna in La Liga, Zinchenko with PSV Eindhoven in the Dutch Eredivisie, while Jesus will link up with City in January.
Meanwhile, some of City’s stellar young talent are already proving themselves in the City first team. It is easy to forget that Raheem Sterling – arguably the Premier League’s stand-out player early in the 2016/17 campaign - is still just 21, while 22-year-old defender John Stones has slotted into the Blues’ first-team like he was made for life on Club football’s biggest stage.
All these players are still setting out on their football journeys with City - the future certainly looks bright!
