Manchester City have brought Pierce Charles back to the club and the young goalkeeper follows a number of transfer trends
Pierce Charles is a Manchester City player again
Pierce Charles is a Manchester City player again
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For a number of reasons, Manchester City signing Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Pierce Charles is interesting. Not in the sense that it will be a fix for any supporter desperate for news of who is going to improve the first team this season, but in the longer term it is significant.
This is the second successive summer where City have bought back an academy player who they let go. Where it used to be that once you were sold your chances of making it at the Etihad were gone, this suggests the beginning of a pattern rather than James Trafford being the exception.
Ironically, Charles is one of the few former City youngsters who did not have a buyback clause given he was let go at 16 rather than sold but the mechanisms in place to protect the club when they do move players on could prove important again going forward. Any academy star may be more tempted to leave on a permanent deal knowing that it doesn't have to be the end for them at City.