Manchester City: 5 Youngsters Who Could See First-Team Action Next Season

Imagine being a football player so good that you are selected to join a Premier League club's developmental program.

Your friends hear about it and cannot wait to find out which club you will begin your career with.

With all the collected cool you can muster, you proudly tell your friends, "I start play with Manchester City's Elite Development Squad in the fall."

"Oh," say your crestfallen friends. "So sorry to hear that...that's terrible."

Such is the reality for young players on a club where a reserve winger is plucked from the starting XI of another club for a reported £8 million, then left to die on the bench.

How is a young, untested player to get a break when City has fully blooded world-class talent sitting during every match?

So let's be realistic: none of these players who follow are likely to leap into the starting lineup the way Matija Nastasic did this season. But each one has a chance to see action next season; what each player does with that time is up to him.

Jack Rodwell

Before we start talking about Manchester City's young, untested prospects, we may as well revisit last season's great young hope.

Jack Rodwell was brought in from Everton at a reported cost of £12 million. For all that money, City got 11 Premier League appearances, two Premier League goals (in the season finale, no less), and an arm's length of questions.

Now City is set to welcome a new manager, and one of the new manager's highest priorities has to be finding some way to keep Rodwell on the pitch and producing.

Yaya Toure and David Silva could use a rest once in a while, you know.

John Guidetti

Of all the people hoping that Chelsea or Real Madrid wins the Edinson Cavani sweepstakes, John Guidetti is probably at the top of the list.

Guidetti continues to be a hyped property that City appears to value. But even he does not really know what his future with City is going to be.

Guidetti was quoted by Tribal Football thus: "We'll see what happens next season, we'll see which striker they choose it to be. It may be that I choose to go, it may be that I stay."

It may be as simple as whether City lands Cavani or stands pat. With Mario Balotelli gone and Sergio Aguero an ongoing injury risk, a fourth striker on City's roster is a necessity.

Will City finally let Guidetti loose?

Denis Suarez

A 19-year-old midfielder, Suarez has yet to appear for Manchester City in the Premier League.

Former manager Roberto Mancini did give him a start at the Etihad in September for City's Capital One Cup fixture with Aston Villa.

He was also on the team sheet in the FA Cup match against Watford and in Premier League play at the Emirates against Arsenal, but he did not appear in either match.

Midfield at City is absurdly crowded at present. Yaya Toure, David Silva, James Milner and Samir Nasri project as starters for (possibly) incoming manager Manuel Pellegrini.

Javi Garcia, Gareth Barry and Jack Rodwell will also need to play.

City must be concerned, however, about the possibility that Financial Fair Play rules will someday inhibit their ability to pay starters' wages to seven or eight midfielders.

A player like Suarez may benefit from the need to erase salaries in 2013-2014 and beyond.

Karim Rekik

The 18-year-old Dutch defender debuted for Manchester City against Reading shortly before the new year.

Thereafter, City loaned Rekik to Blackburn Rovers, where he was used sporadically.

Manchester City's website recites Rekik's career highlight (before his Premier League start, presumably) as "winning the UEFA European Under 17 Championships for national side the Netherlands." 

As with midfield, City's back line is amply supplied with talent. Pablo Zabaleta, Matija Nastasic, Vincent Kompany and Gael Clichy are not going anywhere, and Micah Richards should be ready to start the season.

In a long season which will feature play in at least four competitions, though, expect Rekik to pop in here or there—assuming that City does not believe him to be better off acquiring more seasoning in the Championship.

Abdul Razak

Abdul Razak has the same problem Denis Suarez has at Manchester City: there are just so many midfielders on the roster already.

Still, there was Razak making three appearances (albeit cameos) in Premier League play with the first team in 2012-2013.

It will probably take more indifferent activity from Samir Nasri plus more injury concerns for Jack Rodwell plus further confused play from Javi Garcia to get the likes of Razak any first-team time.

In other words, there's a chance.