Nexnews – Under Pep Guardiola’s tenure, Manchester City has nurtured a number of talented players from their academy, but some of them chose to leave the club. The ongoing crisis at City has only intensified, especially after Manchester United won the derby, pushing Guardiola’s team further into turmoil.
Currently, City sits fifth in the Premier League with 27 points, just one point behind Nottingham Forest and nine behind leaders Liverpool. In the Champions League, they are in a critical position, currently ranked 22nd and must win their next match against Paris Saint-Germain.
The decline began with the ACL injury to Rodri, and further compounded by other key players’ physical issues, such as Kevin De Bruyne. The shortage of available players has forced Guardiola to experiment with positions, a problem that could have been mitigated by a larger squad with more young talents.
Manchester City is certainly feeling the absence of these players who have moved on to other clubs and flourished, such as Cole Palmer, Jadon Sancho, Jamie Gittens, and Jeremie Frimpong. Despite having promising talents like Phil Foden, Rico Lewis, Oscar Bobb, and McAtee in their squad, the lack of opportunities in the first team under Guardiola led many to seek better prospects elsewhere.
Cole Palmer (Chelsea – 22 years old): The current standout player in the Premier League, Palmer joined Chelsea in 2023 for €47 million and has impressed with his performances.
Jadon Sancho (Chelsea – 24 years old): A quality winger, Sancho joined Borussia Dortmund in 2017, moved to Manchester United in 2022, and now plays for Chelsea, consistently delivering excellent performances.
Jamie Gittens (Borussia Dortmund – 20 years old): Gittens, who joined Dortmund in 2020, has become one of Europe’s top wingers.
Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen – 24 years old): After joining Celtic in 2019 and moving to Bayer Leverkusen in 2021, Frimpong reached his peak last season.
Brahim Diaz (Real Madrid – 25 years old): After moving to Real Madrid in 2019 and spending three years on loan at Milan, Diaz is now a regular player for the Spanish giants.
Romeo Lavia (Chelsea – 20 years old): Lavia joined Chelsea in 2022 after a loan spell at Southampton and is now a key player for the Blues.
These players’ success at other clubs highlights the missed opportunities for City under Guardiola’s management.Pep Guardiola’s Six Departed Talents Who Are Now Thriving Elsewhere
