Where are they now? The 13 players from Cole Palmer’s last Man City U23 appearance
Cole Palmer has reached new heights since joining Chelsea, but what happened to his former teammates from Manchester City’s U23 squad?
Since penning a seven-year contract at Stamford Bridge, Palmer’s profile has risen tremendously. Across all competitions, he’s scored 21 goals and has provided 13 assists this season.
Palmer made his final appearance for Man City’s U23s back in April 2022 against Everton and we’ve checked in on where the 13 players from that game are today.
Mikki van Sas
The Dutch goalkeeper spent three years in the Man City academy and left during the same window as Palmer. Van Sas returned to his native country and penned a deal with Feyenoord where he’s still waiting to make his debut.
Rico Lewis
Transitioning from the academy into Pep Guardiola’s squad isn’t easy, but Lewis has made it look like a walk in the park. Since being handed his first chance last season, the teenager hasn’t looked back since.
Impressively, he’s racked up 48 senior appearances for the club and has looked comfortable in multiple roles from full-back to holding midfield.
“What a player. What a player,” Guardiola said in a post-match press conference back in October.
“To find a player like him playing in the pockets, how he has to move in holding midfield, full-back coming inside moving in the spaces – he is one of the best I ever trained by far.”
Shea Charles
Man City banked a healthy profit upon selling Charles in the summer. Southampton swooped in with a lucrative bid of £10.5million which could rise to £15million with add-ons.
Charles was highly rated within the Man City academy, but that sort of figure was too good to turn down.
Since joining the Championship side, the 20-year-old has been a steady performer. The bulk of his appearances have come from the bench, but he has shown some flashes of quality.
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Luke Mbete
The England U21 international is still on the books at Man City today. After a couple of loan spells in the EFL last season, he now finds himself with Den Bosch in the Dutch second division.
Given he’s under contract with Man City until 2027, the club clearly sees the potential in the young defender.
Tomas Galvez
The Finnish full-back is continuing to develop in the Man City academy today. He’s yet to make his senior debut, although that will surely only be around the corner for the 19-year-old.
Romeo Lavia
Following his lucrative move from Southampton to Chelsea in the summer, it seems like Lavia has dropped off the face of the earth.
The 20-year-old has had a rough time with injuries and has only played 32 minutes of football since joining Chelsea in a £53million deal. Fingers crossed he manages to come back stronger next season.
James McAtee
Being part of a Sheffield United squad that has been rooted to the bottom of the Premier League for the majority of the season can’t be much fun, but McAtee will have learnt a lot from this season with the Blades.
In fairness, the Man City loanee has been one of the brighter sparks for Sheffield United, in an otherwise disastrous campaign.
He’s chipped in with five goal contributions and the Blades will no doubt be keen on signing him on a permanent basis.
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Kayky
The Brazilian winger joined the Man City academy from Fluminense in 2021. Since arriving in Manchester, fans have only seen a few flashes from him in the senior squad.
He’s enjoyed loan spells in Portugal and Brazil and is now continuing his development within the academy. In a few years time, we’re almost certain that he’ll be a star. Watch this space.
CJ Egan-Riley
Vincent Kompany brought Egan-Riley to Turf Moor back in 2022, although Burnley fans haven’t had much of a chance to see the centre-half in action.
The 21-year-old centre-half has spent the last couple of seasons out on loan and is currently developing with Jong PSV. With Burnley looking like a prime candidate for the drop, Egan-Riley might get his chance in the Championship next season.
Oscar Bobb
Remember the name.
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Liam Delap
Delap endured a couple of tough loan spells last season with Stoke City and Preston North End, but this time around for Hull City he’s really shown his class.
A strong runner with the ball at his feet, Liam Rosenior has managed to get the best out of the Man City loanee. In the Championship this season he’s chipped in with eight goal contributions and has looked sharper than ever.
His contract at the Etihad is valid until 2026, although it remains to be seen if he has a future at the club.
Samuel Edozie
Southampton lured Edozie away from the Etihad in 2022 as the Saints shelled out a £10million fee to snap him up. The 21-year-old is by no means the finished article, but his raw ability is obvious to see.
“I think, before, when I first came into men’s football, for me it was more about just getting at players and trying to take them on – I didn’t think too much about what to do after,” Edozie told the Southampton club website.
“But I think now, playing more games and getting a little bit more experience, it’s also about that end product.”
Darko Gyabi
Gyabi spent four years in the Man City academy before he made the switch to Leeds United in 2022. The towering central midfielder has spent the last few months on loan with Plymouth Argyle and we can’t wait to see more of him in the coming years.