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 as players who have grown up in their academy are shining at other teams, while the current squad faces many problems in terms of 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 left Man City fans heartbroken. This is a signature move used by Cole Palmer, another talent who grew up in the Etihad academy. Both Palmer and Rogers have left the Etihad in recent years and are now showing excellent form at their new destinations.
In addition, Romeo Lavia, a former Man City academy player, is also progressing rapidly at Chelsea after joining from Southampton. With the departure of all three young stars, The Citizens have not only lost precious gems but are also falling into a state of lacking vitality and depth in the squad.
Man City have boasted huge revenues from player sales over the years, with profits of nearly £550m over eight years. However, the sales of players such as Palmer, Rogers and Lavia are increasingly proving to be a “pseudo-economic” strategy.
Cole Palmer was sold to Chelsea for £42.5m last September. The England star has 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 is the type of creative and effective player Pep Guardiola desperately needs in his current squad.
For Morgan Rogers, the 22-year-old striker has five goals and three assists for Aston Villa this season. The decision to sell the England international to Middlesbrough for just £1.5m now looks like a huge mistake, especially as City only received £3.6m in transfer fees when he joined Villa.
After moving from Man City to Southampton for £14m, Romeo Lavia continued to impress and was recruited by Chelsea for over £50m. However, the amount The Citizens received from the add-ons is only a fraction of the amount they would have had to spend to find a midfielder of similar quality.
Selling talent not only deprives Man City of long-term talent, but also puts the team in a difficult position when faced with the problem of rebuilding. Pep Guardiola has an aging squad with 12 players turning 30 next year.
Mistakes in recent transfer windows mean the Etihad outfit will have to spend big money to bring in quality new players, while seeing former academy players shine at other clubs has added to the pressure and dissatisfaction from fans.
The lessons from Palmer, Rogers and Lavia will probably make Man City's management think 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.
