4 Manchester City Youngsters Who Deserve to See 1st-Team Action in 16/17 Season

There’s hardly been more incentive for Manchester City’s academy players since the club was taken over in 2008.

The injection of cash that came courtesy of Sheikh Mansour’s purchase of City has seen the gap between the club’s once thriving academy and first team widen. It’s never been more difficult for young players at City to make the step up into the senior side.

That’s not to say the club aren’t serious about youth development. Their £150 million City Football Academy (CFA) development, which opened in December 2014, is evidence of their intent. They want to become a self-sustaining club in every sense of the word, with world-class players developed under their own watch from a very young age.

So far, the CFA is yet to bear fruit, but it is currently home to an impressive batch of young stars who could buck the trend.

Perhaps even more significantly, Pep Guardiola is set to take charge of the club on July 1, a man whose record in youth development at Barcelona was one of the reasons he was selected for the job. “That's one of the reasons why Pep was so highly considered," explained chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak recently. "He has done that with Barcelona, he has done that with Bayern Munich.

"Even with the abundance of talent he had with both first teams, Pep always has a knack for talent, and he loves to find young players that have incredible talent.”

Here, we look at four players who could well be set for more involvement in the first-team squad under the Catalan.

1. Tosin Adarabioyo

Julian Finney/Getty Images

It’s notoriously difficult for young centre-backs to get first-team opportunities, but in 18-year-old Tosin Adarabioyo, City have a player who could become a defender of distinction.

He’s blessed with some formidable natural attributes. He’s tall and powerful, quick over the ground and athletic—a great mix for a centre-back.

He’s also comfortable in possession, something that will appeal to Guardiola, a manager who demands his defenders bring the ball out from the back and start attacks.

Clearly, he has some developing to do. His performance in City’s defeat to Chelsea last season in the FA Cup fifth round demonstrated his shortcomings. His distribution, so often excellent at the youth level, let him down numerous times.

What that game did showcase, though, was his exceptional positional sense and ability to sense danger—two fine assets for a young defender.

He’s represented England at every level from under-16 to under-19 and is highly regarded by regular watchers of City's Elite Development Squad.

2. Manu Garcia

Manu Garcia’s struggles in the FA Youth Cup final against Chelsea last season saw some begin to lose faith in the 18-year-old Spanish midfielder—but it would be foolish to write him off.

Garcia is a gifted player, exactly the kind of midfielder City’s academy staff want to produce on a regular basis: comfortable receiving the ball in tight spaces, with the ability to play the right pass.

For a young player, his decision-making is superb, and there are many inside the club’s academy who believe he is the kind of player Guardiola will like.

He played four first-team matches last season, scoring his first senior goal in the win over Crystal Palace in the Capital One Cup in October.

"

Here come the boys... Looks like @Manugarcia_98 has travelled with the squad for today's game! #palacevcity pic.twitter.com/4m4vdDhf5S

— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) September 12, 2015"

3. Bersant Celina

Like Garcia, Bersant Celina also has some first-team experience, and again, like the Spaniard, he is a technically gifted player with real potential.

Give Celina the ball, and he rarely loses it. Not because he has great dribbling skills, but because his awareness and appreciation of space is so finely tuned, even at this early stage.

Like every player on this list, he still needs to undergo additional physical development, and under Guardiola’s tutelage, he is likely to continue learning the tactical side of the game. But Celina is equipped with everything he needs to push hard for a first-team place at City.

In an interview with Jack Pitt-Brooke of The Independent, Celina’s confidence in his own ability shone through.

“I don’t lose the ball a lot,” he said. “I have good technique, I know what I can do with the ball. And if I make the right decisions, defenders can’t come near me.”

He’ll need every drop of that self-confidence if he is to push his way past world-class players and become a regular for Guardiola.

"

It's #FAYC 4th Round night tomorrow as #mcfc U18s face Coventry. Here's @BersantCelina's goal from from the... https://t.co/sJkaSftZN7

— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) January 13, 2015"

4. Angus Gunn

With Richard Wright’s playing days at City now over and questions lingering over the form of Willy Caballero, there may well be a first-team opportunity opening up for young Angus Gunn.

Joe Hart is, quite rightly, firmly in possession of the No. 1 shirt right now—but Gunn has the ability to form part of City’s stable of backup goalkeepers.

He is a mature, solid performer. In an exclusive interview with Bleacher Report back in 2014, he spoke openly about his desire to play for City and England.

“I'd like to play for Man City and also England,” he said. “Obviously, Joe Hart is No. 1 at the moment; he's a great goalkeeper, and he's a great person to look up to for me.

"But no one can carry on forever, so I'll hope to be there when Joe's not there anymore, and hopefully, I can be England and Man City's No. 1 goalkeeper.”

Gunn, 20, perhaps needs a loan move to further his progress, but temporary moves that prove valuable for young goalkeepers are few and far between.