Manchester City have invested a lot into the City Football Academy (CFA) over the last decade. This investment has seen them produce a number of top talents with notable graduates including three-time Premier League champion, Phil Foden and current Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho. These players have made a name for themselves further enhancing the reputation of the CFA project. We take a look at three youngsters whose futures look bright and can break into the Man City first team in the next few years.
ROMEO LAVIA
17-year-old Romeo was signed from his boyhood club, RSC Anderlecht in the summer of 2020. He joined City’s Elite Development Squad (EDS) and helped them win the PL2 and the U18s Premier League with some impressive performances in midfield. These displays earned him the EDS Player of the Season award after seamlessly slotting into the midfield. Many within the City organization see him as a long-term replacement for the aging Fernandinho largely because of his defensive acumen and unique ball playing ability. His development has seen him make his debut for the club last month in the win against Wycombe Wanderers. Romeo Lavia has been named in The Guardian’s “Next Generation 2021”– a list of the 60 most promising young footballers across the world.
LUCA BARRINGTON
Another City youngster has been named in the Next Generation list and indeed shows a lot of promise. 16-year-old Luca Barrington has been at the club since the age of six. He has risen through the youth ranks and features consistently for the junior sides. Barrington is renowned for his dribbling ability and his liking for constantly cutting in from either flank to get the better of defenders. Manchester City’s website describes him as a dynamic and lively winger with the consistent ability to grab goals. The youngster is keen on following Phil Foden’s path to the first team and has signed a scholarship with the club in July 2021.
JAYDEN BRAAF
The oldest player on this list is Dutch U21 winger, Jayden Braaf. Man City signed the promising winger from PSV Eindhoven in the summer of 2018 as a first-year scholar. Braaf had previously been in the Ajax youth set up and came to the club with a glowing reputation. In his debut season, he featured consistently for the U18s and the U23s but saw his season curtailed through injury. He picked up where he left off and scored nine goals in just 16 PL2 appearances. These performances were rewarded when he was named the Under-23s Player of the Season (19/20). He also featured for the Netherlands u17 in the 2019 World Cup scoring and assisting twice in their run to the semi-final. Braaf believed his development warranted a senior debut but manager Pep Guardiola asked him to be patient which led to him heading out on loan to Udinese where he featured just 4 times. Despite this blip, he has the quality to break into the City first team and like Guardiola said; “he just needs to be patient.”
