Manchester City are in the market for some of the best young talent but clubs are circling for their own players this summer as well with Liverpool keen on one prospect
Ryan McAidoo and Reigan Heskey are among the Manchester City youngsters that have attracted interest this summer
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Manchester City are moving to snap up some of the best young talent in Europe. Mathys Detourbet has been bought from sister club Troyes for £21m and Blues will spend £12.5m to bring in 16-year-old Jeremy Monga.
As the valuation of more experienced players shoots up, City continue to look for value with emerging talent as well. They are, of course, not alone in this and that has also led to some of their best academy players being targeted by other clubs this summer.
Ryan McAidoo, Reigan Heskey, and Xavier Parker are all understood to have received interest from clubs looking to tempt them away from the City Football Academy this summer in what would be significant departures. Liverpool are leading the chase for 16-year-old forward Parker, while there is interest from abroad as well as the Premier League in McAidoo and Heskey.
Heskey, the son of former striker Emile and younger brother of Jaden - a midfielder also in City's academy who was on loan at Sheffield Wednesday last season - is an explosive winger who scored the winner in the FA Youth Cup final against United in May. The 18-year-old made his senior debut in September in the final moments of City's Carabao Cup win at Huddersfield.
McAidoo, also 18, debuted against Exeter in the FA Cup in January and marked a promising start with a goal that also earned him another appearance against Salford City. The teenage winger was picked out by chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak at the end of the season as the most exciting academy player and is under contract until 2030.
Parker, 16, is significantly younger but still saw plenty of game time in the Under-18s despite Teddie Lamb leading the line for the majority of matches. Parker only joined City two years ago from West Ham but is being sounded out by clubs again.
City obviously want to keep their best talent and are working hard to convince the players to remain at the club. While it won't get the headlines that new signings do, every youngster they do manage to keep will be a significant success.
A number of City's academy players are likely to be given the chance to impress new boss Enzo Maresca in pre-season. With 17 senior players having represented their national teams at the World Cup, many of them will still be resting as City return for training on July 20 and then head off for three games in Asia a week later.