One of Manchester City’s academy stars is set to join a title-winning club on loan and their manager is buzzing to have landed such a “gifted” young player.
Manchester City’s academy shone last season, with both the Under-21s and the Under-18s winning silverware.
Now, some of the players in City’s EDS are set to embark on loan moves which will aid their development further.
Jahmai Simpson-Pusey is one such player, with Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers confirming the defender is set for a switch to Parkhead.
Jahmai Simpson-Pusey in action during Manchester City v Everton.
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers looking forward to working with ‘very gifted’ Jahmai Simpson-Pusey
Rodgers, speaking ahead of Celtic’s Scottish Premiership opener against St Mirren, has confirmed that the Bhoys are closing in on a loan deal for Simpson-Pusey.
“A very gifted young player,” Rodgers said of the 19-year-old City defender, as per Sky Sports.
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“Obviously, coming through the system there at Manchester City, his profile fits very much what we want from our centre-halves.
“He’s quick, he’s dominant, he’s a good defender and of course, at Celtic, your centre-halves need to be able to progress the ball and that’s a big strength of his.
“So we’ve taken him on loan for a year. We always need all our centre-halves at Celtic. We play so many games, so many intense games and he’ll join our squad.
“He’s obviously a little bit behind because he hasn’t played so many games over the course of pre-season.
“But we’ve brought him through for the rest of the season and hopefully we can close that one out.”
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Jahmai Simpson-Pusey: Profile of a ‘warrior’
Simpson-Pusey was born in Huddersfield on 4 November 2004 and joined the City setup aged eight.
He rose through the ranks at City and signed scholarship terms in July 2022.
Two years later, Simpson-Pusey travelled to the United States on City’s pre-season tour.
He went on to make his unofficial senior debut for the Citizens in July 2024 – coincidentally, against Celtic.
Simpson-Pusey made his competitive senior debut last season, coming on against Tottenham in the Carabao Cup.
He now has six appearances to his name, having also played in the Premier League, the Champions League, and the FA Cup.
The 19-year-old split his time between the seniors and the Under-21s last season, helping the EDS side win the Premier League 2 title.
City’s official website describes Simpson-Pusey as a ‘dominant centre-back presence’, a ‘commanding figure in defence’ and a ‘warrior on the pitch who relishes his defensive duties’.