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Manchester City have seen plenty of talented stars pass through their doors in recent seasons
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Manchester City's academy graduates have been ranked as the most valuable assets in all of England, says new data. According to a report produced by the CIES Football Observatory, only Barcelona in European football have a bigger pool of more expensive academy players, with Manchester City ranking second in the list. That makes their academy the most prized in England at present, with Bayern Munich and Real Madrid following close behind the Premier League giants in the standings.
Topped by Barça, it is no surprise that the La Liga giants lead the way, given Lamine Yamal is the latest product of their fabled La Masia academy. The report also credits fellow stars Pau Cubarsi, Fermin Lopez and Alejandro Balde as the reason the Blaugrana rank so highly, with all four players thought to be worth close to €600m (£519m).
Manchester City's most valuable asset is recorded as young defender Nico O'Reilly, with his market estimate thought to be an eye-watering €92m (£80m) at present. O'Reilly is hoping to be involved in Thomas Tuchel's plans for the 2026 World Cup this summer, having excelled in his performances for both club and country over the last 12 months. The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week. Phil Foden, Rico Lewis, Max Alleyne and Reigan Heskey are all names that also fall under the required CIES value criteria. Local boy Foden is arguably City's best-ever graduate from their academy system. It is unclear whether Oscar Bobb was included in the findings, but he could be given that the report states: "For players who spent at least three seasons between the ages of 15 and 21 in two different clubs (e. g. Kenan Yildiz), only the first team was considered as the training academy. "
Arsenal are down in 5th in the table, with Myles Lewis-Skelly ranked as their most valuable academy-graduate asset. Chelsea are one place below with Levi Colwill topping their list. For more information on all clubs and a further look at the data, you can visit the CIES Football Observatory's latest findings. Matthew Holt writes freelance for Four Four Two, amongst others, and boasts previous experience at GOAL and SPORTBible. He now works with us alongside his time at Manchester United and Reach PLC, aiding with online content for the website. Career highs include working at the FA Cup final, as well as scoring at Old Trafford in front of the Stretford End. A long-term sufferer of his beloved Scunthorpe United, he is often seen on the padel court, as well as occasionally as a six-a-side call-up. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
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