Manchester City have agreed to add a young goalkeeper to their academy ranks when he turns 16 later this year
Comments
Sport
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - APRIL 16: General view during a training session at Manchester City Football Academy on April 16, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Manchester City Football Academy(Image: Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Manchester City have paid nearly a quarter of a million pounds to land a 15-year-old Scottish goalkeeper.
A £235,000 deal has been agreed with Hibernian for Ben Vickery, who has impressed in the club's youth teams and also represented Scotland at Under-16 level. A move will be completed when he turns 16 in August 2025.
Vickery will add to a promising group of academy keepers who are pushing to go all the way and make it all the way to Pep Guardiola's first team squad. Max Hudson and Spike Brits (both 17) have been involved with the senior side for matches this season while Oliver Whatmuff (also 17) has impressed in the UEFA Youth League as Ben Wilkinson's side have progressed to the quarter-finals.
At first team level, both Ederson and Stefan Ortega are under contract until 2026. Ederson came close to leaving for Saudi Arabia last summer but was convinced to stay by Guardiola, although there has been fresh speculation over his future this season.
After the high of the title-winning save at the end of last season at Spurs, Ortega signed a new deal but hasn't been able to dislodge Ederson from the starting lineup for any length of time.
City's academy has returned to form this year after a disappointing season for the Under-21s last time out. As well as their performance in the UEFA Youth League, the Under-18s and Under-21s are top of their respective leagues and the Under-18s are two matches away from retaining the FA Youth Cup.