Manchester City are reportedly on the verge of signing 15-year-old Finley Gorman from Leeds United in a record-breaking deal.
Manchester City are reportedly on the verge of signing 15-year-old Finley Gorman from Leeds United in a record-breaking deal.
The treble winners have invested heavily in their academy infrastructure and they have had plenty of success in developing and recruiting young talent that has either broken into the first team or been sold on for significant profit.
City recently signed two highly-rated 16-year-olds in the form of Harrison Parker and Luca Fletcher from Manchester United and Reading respectively for a combined fee believed to be in the region of £1m.
Jamal Baptiste, Divine Mukasa and Emilio Lawrence are among a number of other youngsters who made the move to Man City over the summer, and another starlet appears to be on his way to the Etihad Stadium.
According to The Athletic, Man City are set to sign Leeds teenager Gorman as a seven-figure fee has been agreed between the two clubs.
The report adds that the transfer is yet to be completed, but the expectation from all sides is that Gorman will join Man City in a British-record deal for a player of his age.
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It is understood that Gorman is still on schoolboy terms with Leeds and he will not be offered his first professional contract until he turns 17 in September 2025.
A number of other clubs including Newcastle United have been credited with an interest in Gorman, but Man City appear to have won the race for his signature.
Gorman, who is regarded as one of Leeds’ most exciting young prospects, made his England Under-16s debut earlier this season at the age of just 14.
The attacking midfielder also holds the record of being the youngest-ever player to score twice in a Premier League Under-18s match at the age of just 14 years and 326 days.
Gorman would presumably be integrated by Man City into either their Under-18s or Under-21s squad, the latter has won the Premier League 2 title in each of the last three seasons.
Pep Guardiola‘s senior squad currently sit top of the Premier League table, one point clear of second-placed Liverpool who travel to the Etihad for their first game after the international break on November 25.