Liam Delap is the latest Manchester City academy product to make a name for himself after starring with a Premier League double for Ipswich Town on Sunday.
The 21-year-old forward’s excellent finishing helped Kieran McKenna’s side secure a 2-2 draw against in-form Aston Villa, continuing his positive start at Portman Road since joining from City in a deal which could be worth up to £20m.
Delap is the latest young talent to shine at the elite level after progressing through City’s Elite Development Squad (EDS) – a system previously led with a flourish of innovation by current Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca.
The EDS was established to create a bridge between the club’s academy and first team, in recent years helping England internationals Phil Foden – the reigning Premier League player of the season – and Euro 2024 final goalscorer Cole Palmer break into Pep Guardiola’s squad.
Designed to either prepare top-class talent for City’s main squad or to secure huge profit, selling EDS and non-first team players has brought in more than £500m to the club since Guardiola’s 2016 arrival.
That is significant because, when clubs sell academy graduates, the entire amount is recorded as ‘pure profit’ in their accounts, helping to meet the top flight’s strict profit and sustainability rules.
Former Manchester City youth coach Brian Barry-Murphy, who replaced Maresca as City’s EDS manager in 2021, told Sky Sports that City now “view it as a B team”.
“Previously they had been seen it as an academy team. Enzo separated that – he put it beyond the academy and before the first team, where they were almost in transition,” Barry-Murphy said.
Where have Man City’s talents ended up?
England Under-21 international Delap, the son of former Stoke midfielder Rory Delap, made two appearances for Manchester City in the Premier League and spent last season on loan with Hull in the Championship, scoring eight goals in 32 games.
With three goals in six Premier League starts this term, he is not the only former City youth player to announce himself already this season.
Morgan Rogers, who scored against Ipswich on Sunday, has emerged as a regular starter for Aston Villa following a move from Middlesbrough in February, while Jamie Gittens, 20, scored twice in the Champions League for Borussia Dortmund earlier this month.
Both spent time in the City system, polishing their game.
Palmer continues to star for Chelsea following his £42.5m move in 2023, becoming the first player to score four first-half goals in a Premier League game on Saturday.
That is City’s biggest ‘B team’ sale to date, followed by the £25.8m Borussia Dortmund paid for Yan Couto, while Kelechi Iheanacho, Romeo Lavia, Brahim Diaz, Angelino, Jadon Sancho and Delap have all also gone for big money.
Players with connections to City’s EDS can be found across Europe’s top leagues, with Diaz at Real Madrid and Jeremie Frimpong at Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen.
Before fracturing a bone in his leg in August, Oscar Bobb, 21, impressed for Guardiola’s side during pre-season and looks set to be another star.
‘It’s grade one youth development’ – how City do it
Analysis by BBC Sport’s chief football news reporter Simon Stone
Manchester City take pride in the fact they have raised in excess of £500m from player sales in the last three seasons.
It underlines the way Pep Guardiola has increased the value of his squad by being successful, but it also shows City recruited well in the first place – and that doesn’t just mean in the first team.
Romeo Lavia was 16 when he left Anderlecht for City. Jadon Sancho was 14 when he moved north from Watford.
Cole Palmer was a childhood Manchester United fan but ended up in City’s academy. Liam Delap was at Derby when City spotted him as a teenager.
They were all exceptionally talented. The chances were they were not all going to play regularly for City.
But by being coached well, guided properly and given the right education, they could all get to a point where they could flourish spectacularly elsewhere.
It’s grade one youth development. It is also a very useful revenue stream for one of the few clubs who do not need to stress about meeting the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.