Manchester City are looking to accelerate some of their plans in the transfer window as Enzo Maresca shapes his squad
A general view of Manchester City's stadium at the City Football Academy
A general view of Manchester City's stadium at the City Football Academy(Image: Nigel French/PA Wire)
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Manchester City training does not officially start until next week but a clutch of players will be at the Etihad Campus on Tuesday looking to shore up their plans for the season. The doors of the City Football Academy will be flung open for a select number of representatives from clubs across England and Europe and then quickly shut again ahead of a training session with a difference.
City have a number of youngsters classed as emerging talent, looking for their next steps in senior football either at the Etihad or elsewhere. The club have made significant money from selling academy players, and have also found some valuable loans that have helped these players.
On Tuesday, interested clubs will be able to get a close look at training and see if there are any players that fit into their transfer plans for the season. It is always a useful date in the calendar to get lots of different people together and kickstart plans.
It is very unlikely that any action on the pitch is going to directly lead to a certain player getting a loan or a permanent move, so it isn't exactly an audition or an auction. Rather, it is an opportunity for conversations to take place and get a sense of where everyone is at.
From City's point of view, having everyone in one place makes it easier than having the same conversation on many occasions. It also helps that attendees can see who their potential competition is and what other interest there may be in particular players.
There will also be interest from Enzo Maresca though as he looks to shape his squad for the coming season. There is still time for players to work their way into his plans - for the summer tour, at the very least - and some youngsters who did not quite have what Pep Guardiola wanted will have a fresh chance to impress.
City will hope that the private event can tee up a number of good moves for their players and maintain their reputation for producing players that can excel in all leagues. Some of the players involved will be looking for those deals so that they can play regularly, yet there may be a few who manage to work their way into Maresca's squad for the season as well.
These aren't going to be the plans that stand out at the end of City's transfer window but there will still be some significant decisions taken for this season and beyond on the back of the conversations had behind the closed doors on Tuesday.