- City agree deal for highly-rated French talent
- Player unlikely to join first-team immediately
- City Football Group club involved in move
Manchester City are closing in on the signing of Mathys Detourbet, with an agreement now in place for the highly-rated youngster.
With the Sky Blues’ interest lying in signing the best talents across Europe, France has recently come to the club’s attention.
City signed Rayan Cherki last summer for an initial fee of £34m. Following recent performances, it is safe to say the Citizens haven’t regretted that decision.
Cherki has registered 10 assists in 15 Premier League starts, and more is yet to come from the Frenchman. However, City have now set their sights on another Frenchman, and the winger is expected to be playing at the Etihad in the upcoming seasons.
Man City agree a fee for Mathys Detourbet
RMC Sport correspondent Sacha Tavolieri reports that the Sky Blues have agreed a £13m fee for French winger Mathys Detourbet.
Detourbet is only 18 and plays for the City Football Group’s Troyes, who compete in Ligue 2 – the French second division.
Detourbet, however, will not be flying to the Etihad Stadium immediately, as Troyes might see promotion to Ligue 1 this season.
Instead, the 18-year-old will spend a full season on loan at his current club; only then will his progress define his trajectory.
Detourbet is a creative winger
While the 18 year old’s numbers are not out of this world, his per 90 stats are promising. Despite primarily being a winger, Detourbet gets a lot of volume on goal.
He has only scored two goals this season, but averaged 2.45 shots per 90. The winger also has 0.77 shots on target per 90, elite for Ligue 2 wingers.
Detourbet has assisted five times this season and averaged 1.97 dribbles per 90, which ranks him in the top 10.7% of wingers in the French second division.
Fit will be tested next season
For now, Detourbet is still playing in Ligue 2. However, his age offers much-needed time for development, and the next season will be crucial for the winger.
Troyes, though, are walking a razor’s edge, standing only one point clear of both second and third place. A first or second-place finish will result in a direct promotion.
However, finishing either third, fourth or fifth will make life tough for the French outfit. Promotion here will be important for City to test out their new talent in a top-flight European league.
