Manchester City are facing a battle to hold onto some of their most promising academy players this summer, with Liverpool leading the chase for 16-year-old forward Xavier Parker. The Blues have already invested heavily in young talent, spending £21m on Mathys Detourbet from sister club Troyes and £12.5m on 16-year-old Jeremy Monga, but now face the prospect of losing three of their own rising stars.
Liverpool target City's young forward Parker
Xavier Parker, who joined City from West Ham just two years ago, has attracted significant interest from Liverpool. The 16-year-old has been a regular for the Under-18s despite the presence of Teddie Lamb leading the line. Parker's potential departure would be a significant blow, given his age and promise.
McAidoo and Heskey also attracting interest
Ryan McAidoo, 18, made his senior debut against Exeter in the FA Cup in January and scored on his first appearance, earning another outing against Salford City. The teenage winger was singled out by chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak as the most exciting academy player at the end of the season and is under contract until 2030. Reigan Heskey, also 18, is the son of former striker Emile Heskey and younger brother of Jaden, a City midfielder who was on loan at Sheffield Wednesday last season. Heskey scored the winner in the FA Youth Cup final against Manchester United in May and made his senior debut in September in the Carabao Cup win at Huddersfield. Both McAidoo and Heskey have drawn interest from Premier League clubs and abroad.
City's strategy to retain talent
City are working hard to convince their best academy players to stay. With 17 senior players away at the World Cup, many will be resting when City return for pre-season training on July 20, before heading to Asia for three games a week later. New boss Enzo Maresca is expected to give several academy players a chance to impress during pre-season. According to Simon Bajkowski, chief Manchester City writer, every youngster City manage to keep will be a significant success, even if it doesn't make headlines like new signings.
