Manchester City have now made a double swoop to sign two English midfielders, having submitted an offer, but there could be major competition from their Premier League rivals.
Guardiola's youth record proves Neville wrong
Pep Guardiola has a patchy record when it comes to bringing through youth players, with arguably his biggest mistake being sanctioning Cole Palmer’s move to Chelsea, and the Man City manager has received criticism from Gary Neville in the past.
Speaking after Guardiola opted to take a smaller squad rather than name a youth player on the bench against Burnley during the 2021-22 campaign, the former Manchester United man said: “I think it’s a joke, I absolutely think it’s a joke.
“If you’re the academy or reserve team manager at Manchester City you must think ‘I’m wasting my time’. Forget the fact they’ve spent however much money, six players on the bench… to me it’s like a protest.”
In fairness, the City manager’s reluctance to promote youth hasn’t cost him, with his side going on to win the Champions League and four Premier League titles on the spin, and he has since gone on to introduce the likes of Oscar Bobb and Nico O’Reilly to the starting XI.
According to journalist Graeme Bailey, in a report for The Boot Room, Man City have also now submitted an offer for two more youngsters, namely Middlesbrough midfielders Anton and Bailey Palmer, who have confirmed they have decided to leave the Championship side.
There could be fierce competition for the Palmer brothers’ signature, however, with Man United, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Chelsea making proposals of their own.
Brighton & Hove Albion are also named as potential sutors for the duo, who are expected to move to their new club as a pair, and the young midfielders are due to announce their next destination later this week.
"Highly-rated" Palmer twins could be exciting long-term additions for City
The Middlesbrough starlets are both just 16-years-old, meaning they are yet to make a senior appearance for the Championship club, but they have both already been named in the first-team squad, which is a very encouraging sign.
The English youngsters have also both made their debuts for the Three Lions’ U17 side, making a combined six appearances between them, which also indicates they are on the right path to become future stars.
Given their age, the twins are unlikely to be first-team regulars for Man City anytime soon, but they clearly have a lot of potential, and it would be exciting if Guardiola’s side were able to win the race for their signatures, considering the level of interest.