Palmer, Foden, and Frimpong are the three of the best young footballers in the world. They’re all having the season of their lives so far and playing important roles in their respective teams. The striking thing about them is that they’re all products of the Manchester City football academy.
Cole Palmer is absolutely killing it at Chelsea. Ever since the 20-year-old moved to the West London club from Manchester City, he has become an important part of the team. He currently has 23 goals and 13 assists for the Blues across all competitions and is challenging for the Premier League Golden Boot. The youngster has also been in the conversation for the PFA Young Player of the Year award in light of the impressive season he is having at Chelsea.
Palmer joined the Manchester United academy at the under-eight level and progressed to captain the under-18s in the 2019/2020 season. Palmer started playing for the first team in 2020 and was getting some minutes on the pitch. A lack of playing time at the star-studded Man City pushed Cole Palmer to join Chelsea and he has now become their star man.
Jeremie Frimpong is a key part of Xabi Alonso’s unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen team. Although he plays as a right full-back, he has hit double digits in goals and assists for the German club this season. He has 13 goals and 11 assists in all competitions for Leverkusen; an impressive stat given his defensive position as a right back. His contributions to the success of this Bayer Leverkusen team are evident to anyone who follows the German team and watches their matches. More than once his late goals have completed a comeback for Leverkusen and preserved their unbeaten run which is now at 47 games.
He joined the Manchester City academy at the age of nine and progressed through their system. He didn’t break into the first team but was signed by Celtics in 2019. His speed, skill and attacking threat from his right back position made him a fan favorite at Celtics. He won the Scottish League Cup with Celtic and was voted Celtic’s young player of the season by the club’s supporters in 2020. Bayer Leverkusen signed him in 2021 and he has been immense for the club.
Phil Foden is having the season of his life at Manchester City. Following the exit of Riyad Mahrez, it seems Pep finally had no choice but to give Phil Foden more minutes and trust him as a consistent part of his squad and he has delivered this season. Foden has been with Manchester since the age of four. He broke into the first team in 2017 after an impressive display in the under 17 World Cup in which he won the golden ball. He has been in the squad since then and it looks like he’s reaching a career high this season.
He was just recently voted as the Football Writers Association Player of the Year. He currently has 16 goals and seven assists in the Premier League as well as five goals and three assists in the Champions League this season. He is becoming a very important player for Pep Guardiola’s Man City and that’s saying a lot given his age and the depth of talent on the Manchester City squad.
The fact that three of the best young players are from the same youth academy points to the positive impact of that academy on their careers and playing style. Man City is not only dominating football, it seems they’re also investing in their academy as well; maybe aiming to become like Barcelona’s La Masia where they can consistently churn out football talent. The impact of Pep Guardiola is obviously not limited to the first team alone; the man is doing something that we don’t fully understand yet with the Manchester City youth team and academy and by the time the rest of the football world catches on, it will be too late. Again.
Image source; squawka on X
It might come as a surprise but Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho and Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz are also products of the Man City academy. What are your thoughts on the talents of the Manchester City academy?