Manchester City have one of the most effective academies in Europe today. But as the Citizens stagger from defeat to defeat in an unprecedented downturn, it is their “outcasts” of Cole Palmer, Michael Olise, Morgan Rogers and many others who are exacerbating the misery at the Etihad.
Certainly, Man City will be planning a transfer in January to find a solution to their growing problems. However, the reality is that they have already found the answer but are not sober enough to keep it.
Man City, the first team in English football history to win a fourth consecutive title last season, have now lost nine of their last 12 games in all competitions. They are seventh in the Premier League, 12 points behind leaders Liverpool and also in danger of being eliminated from the Champions League.
As Pep Guardiola tries to find a way out of the worst spell of his managerial career, his players are getting older. Ilkay Gundogan (34), Kevin De Bruyne (33), Kyle Walker (34), Bernardo Silva (30) and John Stones (30) are all starting to show signs of age.
Rogers provided a painful reminder of what City have lost in recent years, with the Aston Villa striker scoring the decisive goal to hand his former club a 2-1 defeat. The Citizens’ alumni have now turned against the club at a time when they should have provided the foundation for a new period of success at the Etihad.
Rogers, like Palmer, was discovered and honed at Man City's academy as a youngster, along with Bayern Munich's Olise, Real Madrid's Brahim Diaz, Tottenham's Pedro Porro, Ipswich Town's Liam Delap and Dortmund's Felix Nmecha.
All of the above deals came during Guardiola's time as coach at the Etihad.
With huge investment, Man City can boast one of the most successful youth systems in Europe over the past 10 years. The development of talent is part of a plan by the Abu Dhabi owners to ensure that, eventually, Man City will move away from expensive signings and develop their own talent.
According to Transfermarkt, Man City have earned £363m by selling local players since 2014, accounting for almost half of their total transfer income of £773m.
However, the returns on academy players are starting to work against Man City. They have made a lot of money, but a smarter plan could see them be patient with young players and allow them to develop at the Etihad.
The Citizens have spent so much money that it is too easy to sign a top player and bring them straight into the first team, so giving youngsters like Palmer and Rogers the patience they need is unlikely.
Over the years, neither Man United nor Liverpool have been ashamed of a young player succeeding elsewhere. They have kept their best young players and turned them into great players for the club.
Man City have gone down a different path and it looks like they will pay a heavy price...
