Manchester City winger Ryan McAidoo stood out on Saturday as the Blues lost on penalties to Inter Milan in Hong Kong
Ryan McAidoo takes on three Inter defenders during Manchester City's first pre-season fixture on Saturday
Ryan McAidoo takes on three Inter defenders during Manchester City's first pre-season fixture on Saturday(Image: Thomas Tang/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
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When Manchester City launched their new away kit last week, three players were chosen to model it for the crowds in Hong Kong. Phil Foden was chosen for many reasons, not least his popularity in Asia. Abdukodir Khusanov is from the Asian nation of Uzbekistan and considering he had signed a new contract recently, it made sense for him to join the stage.
The third player was Ryan McAidoo and it became clear why he was chosen during his second-half performance against Inter Milan. For much of the first half, the game went on and off the boil as City found their feet in their first pre-season game.
But once Savinho was moved to the left to accommodate McAidoo on the right, the match burst into life. The 18-year-old was a constant threat to the Italian defence. He was always looking to cause them problems and was not afraid to take a shot when the opportunity presented itself.
He deserved more when his strike clipped the post but it was an all-round positive first impression this summer for the winger. Of course, many City fans will not have been surprised by McAidoo's performance. The teenager scored his first senior goal for the Blues last season in a 10-1 thrashing of Exeter in the FA Cup.
After that game, Pep Guardiola sang the praises of the forward. "The guy he wants the ball constantly. When Ryan faces the goal, he’s so dangerous. He can go inside and outside and keeps the ball in different situations," Guardiola said. "He always wants to create - especially with the way we play with the wide players. We want these kinds of players.
"If you bring guys early and train early they can adapt quicker to the intensity of the first team and make the steps we want them to make. He gives me a smile when he gets the ball and I think he gives the fans a smile too and that’s special."
After such a positive display against Inter, fans are starting to get excited about McAidoo's potential and rightly so. Their delight was shared by Enzo Maresca post-match: "Since day one to be honest with Ryan, we were speaking with the club and since day one he is the kind of winger I love. Very aggressive one v one, he always tries, makes the right decisions.
"But he is very young and he needs the right path. At the moment, with most of the young players, the idea was to see them during pre-season and then decide.
"We started ten days ago and Ryan is working well. We are going to take the right decision.
"I am always very open with young players. At Leicester, it was a record number of debuts from the academy. And at Chelsea it was also a record number of debuts from the academy."
City have encountered this conundrum before. Both Foden and Cole Palmer shone during their first outings for the club in pre-season. Since then, they have established themselves as Premier League regulars.
Cole Palmer and Phil Foden became Champions League winners at Manchester City
Cole Palmer and Phil Foden became Champions League winners at Manchester City
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Getting talented young players to that position is not always straightforward, as Maresca alluded to. City are not opposed to the idea of sending their academy stars out on loan to gain experience.
Pierce Charles returned to the Blues this summer after being sold to Sheffield Wednesday. Clearly, City see a lot of potential in the goalkeeper to make it at first team level. But as soon as he arrived back in Manchester, a loan move to QPR was arranged to hone his skills further.
Plenty of clubs would be interested in signing McAidoo on loan this summer, especially at Championship level. But Foden and Palmer both benefited from sticking with City in the early stages of their career. Neither player harmed their development by coming off the bench on occasion and getting opportunities in the domestic cups.
Of course, City would prefer McAidoo to follow the Foden route, rather than Palmer's. But even if the 18-year-old chooses to leave for more minutes in the future, there's every chance the Blues could land a big fee for him.
McAidoo has the potential to be a long-term option on the right flank for City. There could also be a lot of change with wingers this summer and that could play into the teenager's hands in the short-term.
Guardiola may have left, but for a player of McAidoo's potential, it might make sense to keep him around the first-team squad and allow his development to continue at the Etihad.