Man City's £50m transfer boost gives academy new tool to motivate youngsters

The main aim of Manchester City's academy is to provide first-team players for Pep Guardiola. Failing that, it is to create first-team quality players who can earn the club millions in transfer fees.

In recent years, City have earned tens of millions from the sales of their best young players, like Jadon Sancho, Brahim Diaz and Romeo Lavia. Last year, the academy earned £46.5m in transfer fees, and the club have surpassed that figure this summer - with the potential for more sales if Tommy Doyle and Taylor Harwood-Bellis leave.

Top goalscorer Carlos Borges has joined Ajax for £13m, potentially rising to £17.3m, while captain Shea Charles is the latest player to join Southampton for a fee of £10.5m which could rise to £15m. Goalkeeper James Trafford is now at Burnley for £15m with add-ons taking the fee up to £19m.

Dire Mebude (Westerlo, £1.75m) and youngsters Tyler and Jack Fletcher (Manchester United, £2m) have taken the guaranteed sales to around the £40m mark, with Lavia's £53m move to Chelsea also guaranteeing the Blues between £8m and £9m for a sell-on clause after selling him to Southampton last summer. The academy has generated £50.25m this year with the potential for another £13.6m in add-ons.

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That is a brilliant achievement, but the high-profile departures leave Under-21 head coach Brian Barry-Murphy without the majority of his experienced players from last season - and without most of their goals. As well as the permanent exits, Academy Player of the Year Oscar Bobb has been permanently promoted to the first team.

"The natural disruptiveness of players moving on to different clubs or loans is pretty normal