According to The Athletic, Leeds United and Juventus are casting ‘admiring glances’ at Luke Mbete. The ‘creative’ 17-year-old is developing well at Manchester City and looks to have a bright future.
He’s trained with the first-team, made the matchday squad and has impressed Pep Guardiola, so it appears City have plans to develop him rather than move him on.
Where will Manchester City finish this season?
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Mbete has made 16 appearances for the U18s, 13 appearances for the U23s and has made the first-team matchday squad once – unused substitute in Sundays 3-1 win over Chelsea. He doesn’t turn 18 until September, so it’s worth noting how impressive and fast his rise from youth level to the senior squad has been.
And although Mbete will be behind Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte, John Stone, Nathan Ake, Eric Garcia and Taylor Harwood-Bellis in the pecking order, he’s got the best manager for his development.
Guardiola has named Liam Delap (aged 17), Harwood-Bellis (18), James Trafford (18), Cole Palmer (18), Tommy Doyle (19) and Adrian Bernabe (19) in at least one matchday squad this season, so there’s a clear pathway from the academy to the first-team.
Leeds and Juventus might be barking up the wrong tree.
In other news, Manchester City should loan out ‘exceptional’ Taylor Harwood-Bellis in January