Manchester City shed several academy graduates in the summer of 2024 – but how have they all fared since?
Pep Guardiola oversaw the sale or release of 11 homegrown players in an attempt to streamline his squad.
We’ve done some digging to investigate what’s become of every academy graduate that City released or sold last summer.
Tommy Doyle
Following a successful loan spell with the club, Wolves activated their option to purchase Doyle on a permanent basis.
He made 24 appearances for Wolves last season and has agreed to spend the 2025-26 season on loan at newly-promoted Birmingham City in the Championship.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis
Having spent the last four seasons out on loan, the time felt right for Harwood-Bellis to leave City in 2024.
Southampton had an obligation to purchase him for £20million if they were promoted from the Championship that year and that’s exactly what happened.
While the Saints bottomed out on 12 points in the top flight, Harwood-Bellis was one of their top performers.
And the defender even scored on his England debut in the 5-0 win over the Republic of Ireland in November 2024, irking future father-in-law Roy Keane into the bargain.
Lewis Fiorini
Another player who spent four seasons out on loan, City decided to cash in on Fiorini last summer.
Stockport County won the race for his signature and coughed up a fee which could rise to £1million.
The midfielder failed to live up to his price tag last year, spending the second half of the campaign on loan at Dundee United, but he’s still only 23 and has time on his side.
Liam Delap
Following a couple of sub-par loan spells with Stoke City and Preston North End, Delap showcased plenty of potential while on loan with Hull City in 2023-24
Ipswich Town recognised that potential and splashed £20million on him to lure him away from Manchester.
It would be money well spent. Despite Ipswich’s relegation, Delap scored 12 goals and shone as a Premier League striker.
Several clubs clamoured to activate his £30million release clause and Chelsea won the race for Delap’s signature. He’s already scored for his new club at the Club World Cup.
Alex Robertson
After making a name for himself while out on loan with Portsmouth, Cardiff City swooped in for Robertson’s signature.
The midfielder quickly established himself as a fan favourite in South Wales; his first league goal for the club was an absolute beauty against Plymouth Argyle.
Sadly, Robertson was unable to stop Cardiff from being relegated to League One and has been linked with a return to Portsmouth.
Ben Knight
Knight featured in the 2021 Community Shield field against Leicester City and wore the number 96 shirt.
That ultimately turned out to be the English winger’s only appearance for the club as he predominantly played in City’s development squad.
After spending the last seven years at the club, he departed to join Spanish third-division side Real Murcia.
But he soon left after making just four substitute appearances, returning to England in June 2025 and signing for Cambridge United.
Kane Taylor
After being signed from Aston Villa’s academy in 2019, Taylor returned to the club this summer after five years with City.
The powerful midfielder caught the eye in the UEFA Youth League, recording nine goal contributions in six appearances, but never threatened to break into Pep Guardiola’s stacked first-team squad.
Taylor scored twice in 21 Premier League 2 appearances for Villa last season, alongside making a handful of appearances in the EFL Trophy.
Micah Hamilton
Scorer for City in the Champions League back in 2023, Hamilton signed a four-year deal with Middlesbrough last summer.
He’s shown flashes of quality at the Riverside, but spent the second half of the 2024-25 campaign on loan at Stockport County.
Hamilton will hope to kick on this season.
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George Murray-Jones
Murray-Jones joined City in July 2021 having progressed through the ranks at Southend United and also having represented England at youth level.
He made 13 appearances in 2023-24, including three times in the UEFA Youth League and three times in the EFL Trophy.
But that didn’t prevent City from offloading the goalkeeper to Nottingham Forest for a fee of £1.1million.
Murray-Jones played 13 times for Forest in the Premier League 2 last season, keeping three clean sheets.
Filip Stevanovic
Acquired from Partizan Belgrade in 2021, Stevanovic never made a first-team appearance for City and was also underwhelming in two separate loan spells in the Netherlands.
The winger joined Belgian side Lommel last summer and has scored once in 10 league appearances.
Josh Adam
Adam won two Premier League 2 titles at City between 2020 and 2024, but was released last summer and soon picked up by Wrexham.
Sadly, he was released by the Welsh club this summer after making just two appearances in the EFL Trophy. The midfielder is currently unattached.
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