Man City promote midfielder to first team amid transfer interest

Manchester City's academy got their season up and running recently with two new coaches in the dugout.

Ben Wilkinson hasn't travelled far, moving from the Under-18s up to the Under-21s to take over from Brian Barry-Murphy, who left the club in the summer. They suffered a 3-1 league defeat to Liverpool in their opening league game before a draw at Chesterfield in the EFL Trophy was followed by a shootout defeat.

Oliver Reiss has taken over from Wilkinson in the Under-18s, arriving from Hertha Berlin with an excellent CV; the Under-18s drew their first game of the season away at Leeds. It has also been a busy time off the pitch, so here's the latest goings on from the academy.

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Jacob Wright made his City debut last season and the holding midfielder impressed first team coaches with his ability and application in training sessions. He went on tour with Pep Guardiola and a young squad in the summer and is expected to stick around the first team squad this season alongside Nico O'Reilly to continue his development rather than heading out on loan.

There, the 18-year-old can learn from Rodri, Ilkay Gundogan and Mateo Kovacic on a daily basis. While first team minutes will be limited, he is set to play a leading role in the Under-21s this season.

That news will come as disappointment to several scouts who have been at City's first two Under-21 matches this season. Wright scored brilliant goals from outside the box against both Liverpool Under-21s and then Chesterfield in displays that show exactly why City rate him so highly.

Thomas Krucken is leaving no stone