City’s academy has produced a curious footnote this summer.
Three of its graduates, once teammates in the same title-winning youth side, are now together again at Chelsea rather than the Etihad.
Cole Palmer, Liam Delap and Morgan Rogers came through City’s youth system together. They won silverware as teenagers, with Palmer and Rogers scoring in one final and Delap providing the assists.
All three have now ended up at Stamford Bridge. Rogers arrived via a club-record £117m move from Aston Villa, completing a reunion Chelsea have built over several years.
It’s a contrast to the picture ReadManCity painted around City’s academy prospects and Phil Foden’s new contract earlier this week. Not every academy graduate stays, or even plays regularly, at City.
The numbers make the point. City sold Rogers to Middlesbrough for £1.1m in 2023, judging him not ready for first-team football. He’s added more than £100m to his valuation in the three moves since.
Chelsea have now spent £302.5m in total on six former City academy products, including Romeo Lavia and Tosin Adarabioyo alongside the trio.
None of it reflects badly on City. The pathway that produced Foden and Nico O’Reilly is the same one Palmer, Delap and Rogers came through.
For every graduate who breaks into Maresca’s squad, others find their route to the top elsewhere. Chelsea have been the biggest beneficiary. And have paid top dollar for it.
