Manchester City have lost highly-rated teenage midfielder Karim Cassim to rivals Manchester United, with fellow academy prospect David Eze also set to make the same switch across the city.
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Manchester City's academy system has long been one of the most successful in European football, and a production line of young talent that has fed both the first-team at the Etihad Stadium and countless others across the globe.
Clinging on to such talent, however, is a perennial battle that cannot always be won by City Football Academy officials, and the club have now watched another promising name head to arguably their fiercest rivals.
The on-pitch battle between Manchester City and Manchester United got off to a sky blue start earlier this month as Erling Haaland helped 10-man side to a 0-1 victory at Old Trafford.
Fans from the red half of Manchester, however, may take some solace in the acquisition of two City youngsters with bright futures ahead of them, in what is being considered a blow by reporters.
Karim Cassim leaves Manchester City for United
As reported by The Athletic, Karim Cassim has completed a switch to Manchester United from Manchester City's academy set-up, with the Premier League having now confirmed the move and cleared the teenager to begin featuring in the Red Devil's youth sides.
A box-to-box midfielder who has turned out for England at youth international level, the 17-year-old is rated as a real talent and his exit lands as a notable loss for Manchester City's youth ranks.
The same report indicates that David Eze - a 16-year-old holding midfielder - is also closing in on a move from City to United, meaning the Blues stand to lose two of their brightest midfield prospects to a direct rival in quick succession.
Only those inside the club will know exactly how the transfers have unfolded, but it is safe to say that Manchester City would have preferred to hold on to Cassim in particular.
Nothing new for Man City’s youth setup
Although some will rush to declare this a significant win for Michael Carrick’s side and those working below the first-team set-up, both moves are not the first time Manchester United have dipped into City's academy.
In recent years, the Fletcher twins - Jack and Tyler - along with forward Charlie McNeill, have all made the switch from the blue half of Manchester to the red side - and Cassim and Eze now extend that list further.
Part of the problem lies in the nature of academy contracts, which typically allows players to move on at 16-years-old once their existing deals expire, leaving clubs with little power to retain those determined to go.
Manchester City will point to the sheer depth of their academy which continues to produce prospects and remain among the most prolific such systems in the world.
Waving farewell to gifted youngsters to a rival is never ideal, and the club will be keen to ensure that such moves are kept to a minimum, but it is hard to be too critical of an academy for which the success rate remains so high.