The City academy produces and develops some of the brightest talents in Europe, and here are 10 born in 2000 or later to keep a close eye on
Julian FinneyPhil Foden
Foden, who finished fourth in the 2019 NxGn, is by far the brightest star in the City academy and he is slowly but surely getting chances in the first team.
Many have suggested he should have followed Jadon Sancho's footsteps by moving elsewhere to get even more first-team football, but while Sancho is the 18-year-old with the most game time to his name this season, Foden is not far down the list.
He has played 850 minutes so far, a total of 21 appearances, and has scored three goals in the FA Cup and two in the Carabao Cup.
He could have played even more, of course, but has to contend for a midfield spot with Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva and David Silva, and the flip side is he has been able to train alongside world-class players every day while learning exactly what Pep Guardiola wants from his players.
Foden is a lifelong fan of the club and if he wants to make the grade at the Etihad Stadium he needs to stick around and play under Guardiola, rather than learn a new style elsewhere.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesCharlie McNeill
McNeill is just 14 but has been making a name for himself in the City academy for the past few years.
The tall forward has proven to be impressive with both feet and has been racking up remarkable numbers at junior level: 110 goals and 38 assists in 72 games for City's U15s and England's U16s.
Those familiar with the City youth set-up believe he is one of the best prospects of any age group and is definitely one to keep an eye on in the coming years.
Getty ImagesFelix Nmecha
Nmecha was named on the bench against Leicester in the Carabao Cup, a reflection of his excellent reputation in the City academy.
The 18-year-old attacking midfielder has already captained the U23 side this season and is said to be a better player than his older brother, Lukas, who is on loan at Preston and actually scored a shoot-out penalty at Leicester in the Carabao Cup last season.
Felix, who has dual nationality and has represented both England and Germany at youth level, is strong, fast and authoritative.
He has been in the academy for eight years and has even trained with Guardiola's first team on several occasions recently.
Indeed, the Catalan was taken with Nmecha's positivity, humility and willingness to learn, having been previously left underwhelmed by the attitude of other youngsters invited to train with the senior squad.
Getty ImagesBen Knight
Knight, 16, joined City from Ipswich last summer for a reported fee of £700,000 ($893,000) and has gone straight into the U18 set-up.
The diminutive playmaker says he models his game on David Silva and his dribbling skills are certainly a joy to behold.
He was coached by Kieron Dyer at Ipswich and the former England international has compared the youngster to Lionel Messi in terms of his technical skills and small stature.
City were first linked with a move for Knight in 2016, when he was just 13, and had to see off interest from Tottenham – including a personal intervention from Mauricio Pochettino – to finally get their hands on him.
Knight, whose uncle Nick played cricket for England, has lived up to the hype in his first months at the club and is expected to have a big future at the Etihad.
