In football, developing and selling young players is often seen as an important economic strategy for clubs. However, for Man City, such decisions have brought many regrets when players who have grown up from their academies are shining at other teams, while the current squad is facing many problems with personnel and form.
The image of Morgan Rogers scoring the decisive goal to help Aston Villa overcome The Citizens was not only a shock to the team's fans, but also a bitter reminder of how they missed out on this bright talent.
Rogers not only made his mark with the goal, but his " arm rubbing" celebration also made Man City fans even more heartbroken. This is a signature move used by Cole Palmer, another talent who grew up from the Etihad team's academy. Both Palmer and Rogers have left the Etihad in recent years and are now in excellent form at their new destination.
In addition, Romeo Lavia, a former Man City academy player, is also improving rapidly at Chelsea after joining Southampton. With the departure of all three young stars, The Citizens have not only lost their gems but are also falling into a state of lacking vitality and depth in the squad.
Man City is proud of its huge revenue from player sales in recent years, with nearly 550 million pounds in profit in 8 years. However, the sale of players such as Palmer, Rogers and Lavia is increasingly proving to be a "fake economy" strategy.
Cole Palmer was sold to Chelsea for £42.5 million in September last year. The England star quickly established himself as one of the best young players in Europe. With 33 goals in 46 Premier League starts for The Blues, the 22-year-old striker is the type of creative and effective player that Pep Guardiola really needs in his current squad.
For Morgan Rogers, the 22-year-old striker has now scored five goals and provided three assists for Aston Villa this season. The decision to sell the England star to Middlesbrough for just £1.5 million is now seen as a big mistake, especially as Man City only received £3.6 million in additional transfer fees when he joined Villa.
After moving from Man City to Southampton for £14 million, Romeo Lavia continued to impress and was signed by Chelsea for more than £50 million. However, the amount The Citizens earn from the add-ons is only a fraction of the amount they will have to spend to find a midfielder of similar quality.
Selling talent not only causes Man City to lose talent that can contribute long-term, but also puts the team in a difficult situation when facing the problem of rebuilding. Pep Guardiola has an ageing squad with 12 players turning 30 next year.
Mistakes in recent transfer windows mean that the Etihad team will have to spend a large sum of money to bring in quality new players. In addition, seeing former academy players shine at other teams has increased the pressure and dissatisfaction from fans.
The lessons from Palmer, Rogers and Lavia will probably make Man City's leadership consider more carefully in the future. Because in football, not only short-term profits but sustainable development and success in the long term are the most important factors.
