Manchester City: How the club turned young player exits into big business

With City chasing a seventh Premier League title in 10 seasons under Guardiola, one might expect the player’s career to deteriorate once he leaves the Etihad Stadium.

This is not necessarily true.

There are many examples of players who have gone on to excel elsewhere after failing to secure a regular place under Guardiola.

Palmer, who made 19 Premier League appearances for City, is a great example.

Since moving to Chelsea for £42.5m in September 2023, the 23-year-old striker has established himself in the England national team and helped his club win the Club World Cup and the UEFA Conference League.

In 2019, Spanish teenager Diaz signed for Real Madrid from City for a fee believed to be around £15m.

He made five Premier League appearances, all as a substitute, before leaving.

Since then, the Malaga-born winger has won two La Liga titles, the Champions League – and earlier this month, he helped Morocco reach the final of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Spanish defender Eric Garcia, who captained City’s under-18s, has won two La Liga titles since moving from Manchester to Barcelona in 2021, when he was 20, after 35 first-team appearances.

Meanwhile, striker Delap – who also progressed through City’s Elite Development Squad (EDS) – was sold to Ipswich in a deal worth up to £20m in July 2024, before Chelsea signed the player for £30m the following year.

EDS was created to create a bridge between City’s academy and the first team.

Designed to either produce top-class talent for City’s main team or generate huge profits, the sale of EDS and non-first-team players has brought in more than £500m for the club since Guardiola’s arrival.

This is important because when clubs sell academy graduates, the full amount is recorded as ‘pure profit’ in their accounts, helping to meet the Premier League’s strict profit and sustainability rules.

Chelsea’s Belgian midfielder Romeu Lavia was 16 years old when he left Anderlecht for City.

Sancho, currently on loan at Aston Villa from Manchester United, was 14-years-old when he moved north from Watford.

Palmer was a childhood Manchester United fan but ended up at City’s academy.