5 WONDERKIDS in the Man City Academy who could end up at other PL Clubs
Manchester City are one of the biggest clubs in the world. They have stepped out from under Manchester United’s shadow in recent years to develop a huge global following – and a brilliant youth academy.
Today, we will take a look at five of the most notable wonderkids currently developing in City’s U21s and U18s teams. For the purposes of this list, we’ll only be looking at players under the age of 20.
We have already taken a look at the five best young players in the Chelsea and Arsenal academies. Now, we’ll be putting City under the microscope.
Kaden Braithwaite
As team captain of City’s U18s, Kaden Braithwaite was always going to make this list. Despite being just 18, he has shown an impressive level of maturity thus far.
A commanding centre-back who can play as a left-back, on account of being left-footed, his potential in the modern game is more or less limitless.
At 6ft 4, he is very dominant in the air, but his technical skills are also very impressive. In particular, he excels most at playing long, diagonal balls from deep positions.
Femi Fapeto
A composed, physically powerful defensive midfielder who wins the ball back very well, Femi Fapetu can be described as a bit of a throwback.
He is a no-frills holding player who can also function effectively as a right-back or as a central midfielder. He recycles possession very well, rarely giving the ball away.
He initially began life in Arsenal’s youth academy, but was snapped up by the Sky Blues in 2021, when he was just 13 – this could prove to be a canny piece of business.
Marlow Barrett
Like Fapetu, Marlow Barrett also didn’t make his start in City’s academy. He was poached from Coventry City in 2024, but has grown from strength to strength since this.
Another left-footed centre-back, a trait that is becoming ever-more vogue in today’s game, Barrett has plenty of tools to be a roaring success at the Etihad Stadium.
At just 16 years of age, he is still very much a work in progress, but has shown some incredibly promising signs. Oh, and he can also play as a left-back, too.
Ryan McAidoo
A goalscoring machine, Ryan McAidoo is a classic inside forward. He likes to play on the right wing, cutting inside and firing off shots from the half-spaces and inside the area.
While he can also play on the left if he needs to, being a natural left-footer, he is most comfortable when driving down the right flank.
He is yet another player who City poached from elsewhere. Originally part of Chelsea’s academy, City pounced on the opportunity to add him to their youth ranks.
Divine Mukasa
The star man in City’s academy at the moment, Divine Mukasa truly is a star in the making. A brilliant goalscorer from midfield, his ability to drift through the lines and arrive late in the box to find the back of the net is astonishing for such a young talent.
He has already played in the Premier League on a few occasions for City, most notably coming off the bench to feature in the Manchester Derby last season. On top of this, he also spent a half-season on loan at Leicester City.
Mukasa is, however, the fourth player on this list who started life in football elsewhere. City nabbed him from West Ham United in 2023.
