Manchester City’s academy has begun to produce several top talents in recent years, since their takeover in 2008. Their wonders have invested £200m into it to become one of the most productive academies in the country.
There are two ways City, like most other elite academies, produce talent with such high potential.
Firstly, they buy youngsters from elsewhere and nurture them before giving them first-team chances at the Etihad Stadium or selling them on for major profit. Romeo Lavia is an example of this after he was brought in by City from Anderlecht, before joining Southampton in 2022 for £10.5m.
Alternatively, they scout players from the local area and bring them through from an early age. Phil Foden is the best success story of this, who joined City at the age of eight and is now a key player for Pep Guardiola, with 32 goal involvements already this season. Cole Palmer is another example, with City selling him for £40m to Chelsea last summer.
Sometimes it does not always work the way City envisage, though, and youngsters may leave the club early and join another academy. There is perhaps one example of this that is relatively unknown, with City losing one of the best wingers in the Premier League when he was in their academy.
When Manchester City let go of a Premier League Star
The player in question here is Michael Olise, who spent one year in City’s academy between 2016 and 2017, before moving to Reading on a free transfer.
Olise’s rise to the Premier League was rapid. As well as spending time playing academy football for Reading, the winger made 23 appearances in the Championship before his true breakout campaign with the Royals, in 2020/21. That term, Olise scored seven goals and assisted 12 in 44 games.
As a result of a superb season in the second tier, Crystal Palace paid just £8m to Reading for Olise, where the 22-year-old has since become one of the Premier League’s most exciting wingers.
It is not widely known that the France U21 international spent a brief time playing for City, and amidst transfer rumours ahead of this summer, there is talk of the Premier League champions wanting to resign him.
City are not the only club interested in acquiring the services of Olise, though, according to The Metro.
Chelsea, another club the youngster played academy football for, and Liverpool, are thought to be interested. However, Olise is believed to prefer a move to Manchester United, with the Old Trafford club said to hold a keen interest in signing him, with a reported £60m release clause in his contract.
Why there is so Much Interest in Olise
Described by football presenter Dougie Critchley as Riyad Mahrez’s “clone” back in July 2023, it is clear to see why Olise is such a sought-after player. He is a creative machine, and only three players bettered the 11 assists he registered last season; Leandro Trossard (12), Mohamed Salah (12) and Kevin De Bruyne (16).
The 22-year-old excels when whipping crosses in from the right-hand side, on his favoured left foot. According to Fbref, he averages 0.54 crosses per 90 minutes this season, which places him in the 84th percentile among positionally similar players in Europe, and 2.66 key passes per 90 minutes, ranking him in the top 10%.
This season, Olise has sadly been hampered by injuries, although has still put up impressive numbers. He has six goals and three assists so far in the Premier League although has played 12 games, just 771 minutes. That is superb output, but even more so when considering he is playing in such an underperforming Crystal Palace side.
With the ball at his feet, Olise is unpredictable, able to go on the outside as well as inside on his favoured left foot. The 22-year-old, whilst not an explosive carrier, is a threat in one-vs-one situations, and also excels in combination play, with runners from midfield who are underlapping.
Another thing that makes Olise so in demand is his work out of possession. He is a diligent runner, who tracks back to help out the full-back. He averages 2.41 combined tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes, placing him in the 82nd percentile.
Olise’s skillset could be hugely beneficial to the likes of Manchester United, who have struggled to find the correct player to play on the right wing.
His release clause of just £60m is a major positive, and it seems highly likely we could see him on the move this summer. Perhaps Manchester City will regret not holding onto the hidden gem that was once in their academy.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.
