The 10 academy kids Man City let go in the summer – & how they’re faring elsewhere
Not every academy talent can make it at Manchester City, with as many as 10 leaving the club this summer.
These have ranged from players who are currently starring in the Premier League and have played for their country, to those kickstarting their careers in the lower divisions and abroad.
We’ve checked in on the 10 who left the club and taken a look at how they’ve fared since.
Liam Delap
Following a couple of sub-par loan spells with Stoke City and Preston North End, Delap showcased plenty of potential while on loan with Hull City last season.
Ipswich Town recognised that potential and splashed £20million on him to lure him away from Manchester.
He’s made quite an impact at Portman Road too with six goals in his first 12 Premier League appearances for the Tractor Boys.
“For 21 years of age, the start he has had in the Premier League is really promising,” Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna told reporters.
“But it is a handful of games and he knows there is still a long road ahead of him and lots of things to still improve on. He has made some really good first strides though.”
Thankfully for City, they included a buy-back clause within the transfer. They could do a lot worse than bring him back to Manchester.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis
Having spent the last four seasons out on loan, the time felt right for Harwood-Bellis to leave City in the summer.
Southampton had an obligation to purchase him for £20million if they were promoted from the Championship last season and that’s exactly what happened.
While the Saints have struggled to make the transition to Premier League football this season, Harwood-Bellis has been one of their top performers.
And the defender even scored on his England debut in the 5-0 win over the Republic of Ireland in November 2024, irking future father-in-law Roy Keane into the bargain.
Tommy Doyle
Following a successful loan spell with the club, Wolves activated their option to purchase Doyle on a permanent basis over the summer.
He’s predominantly been used as an impact substitute so far, as seven of his nine Premier League appearances have come from the bench.
Lewis Fiorini
After spending the last four seasons out on loan, City decided to cash in on Fiorini over the summer. Stockport County won the race for his signature and coughed up a fee which could rise to £1million.
The technically gifted midfielder is yet to justify that sort of price tag in a Stockport shirt, despite their fine start to life back in League One, but nobody is writing him off yet.
Alex Robertson
After making a name for himself while out on loan with Portsmouth, Cardiff City swooped in for Robertson’s signature over the summer.
The 21-year-old is quickly establishing himself as a fan favourite in South Wales while playing at the base of midfield. His first league goal for the club was an absolute beauty against Plymouth Argyle.
Given his age and potential, he’s someone who could potentially play Premier League football in the future – and a host of top-flight clubs could do with a player of his potential in their engine room.
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Micah Hamilton
Scorer in last season’s Champions League match at Red Star Belgrade, Hamilton signed a four-year deal with Middlesbrough over the summer.
He’s shown some flashes of quality at the Riverside so far, but has predominantly been used as an impact substitute under Michael Carrick at the Riverside.
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Ben Knight
Knight featured in the 2021 Community Shield field against Leicester City and wore the number 96 shirt. That ultimately turned out to be the English winger’s only appearance for the club as he predominantly played in City’s development squad.
After spending the last seven years at the club, he departed this summer and joined Spanish third-division side Real Murcia.
As of writing, the 22-year-old has only made four appearances for the club as he’s mostly been an unused substitute in Real Murcia’s matches so far.
Kane Taylor
After being signed from Aston Villa’s academy in 2019, Taylor returned to the club this summer after five years with City.
The powerful midfielder caught the eye in the UEFA Youth League, recording nine goal contributions in six appearances, but never threatened to break into Pep Guardiola’s stacked first-team squad.
Taylor has scored once in five Premier League 2 appearances for Villa this season, alongside making a handful of appearances in the EFL Trophy.
George Murray-Jones
Murray-Jones joined City in July 2021 having progressed through the ranks at Southend United and also having represented England at youth level.
He made 13 appearances last season, including three times in the UEFA Youth League and three times in the EFL Trophy.
But that didn’t prevent the Premier League champions from offloading the goalkeeper to Nottingham Forest this summer for a fee of £1.1million.
Murray-Jones has played three times for Forest in the Premier League 2 this season, conceding four times.
Filip Stevanovic
Acquired from Partizan Belgrade in 2021, Stevanovic never made a first-team appearance for City and was also underwhelming in two separate loan spells in the Netherlands.
The winger joined Belgian side Lommel over the summer and has yet to score in three appearances for his new club.