Manchester City identify the ‘new John Stones’ in Football League scouting mission | OneFootball

Premier League champions Manchester City face a new transfer battle having identified a player dubbed as the ‘new John Stones’ from within the English Football League.

It is the latest in a long line of youth scouting missions to have been undertaken by the Premier League giants, who are continuously looking to equip themselves for the next generation and ensure prolonged success beyond their current crop of stars.

A long line of names were issued with their first professional contracts at Manchester City over the summer months, and will no doubt be tipped for long-standing careers at the top of the game having been developed through the City Football Academy.

Among those names were Rhys Thomas, Kian Noble, Matty Warhurst, Daniel Batty, Jack Wint, Spike Brits, Brooklyn Nfonkeu, Harrison Parker, and Luca Fletcher, as confirmed by the Premier League champions earlier this year.

Now, in their search for the next best emerging names within the English game, Manchester City’s attentions have been drawn into the Football League, and a profile that is already attracting similarities with an existing first-team star.

According to the information of journalist Alan Nixon, Rotherham United centre-back Harrison Duncan – dubbed as the new John Stones – is now on the radar of both West Ham United and Manchester City.

Duncan is currently training with Steve Evans’s first-team squad, and is expected to figure in their side shortly, whilst the aforementioned Premier League duo are already ‘checking him out’ in Rotherham’s under-18 squad.

Such is the interest in the 6 foot 3 inch defender that Rotherham United are reportedly now ‘bracing themselves for major offers’, particularly with interest from within the English top-flight.

Manchester City’s defensive area of the pitch is among some of the strongest in the European game, and many believe the club’s historic Treble success and UEFA Champions League triumph of 2023 was built on such foundations.

Along with full-back options starring Rico Lewis and Josko Gvardiol, Pep Guardiola also has central defensive names including the likes of Ruben Dias and Manuel Akanji at his disposal, with many profiles able to cover numerous positions across the rearguard.

It remains to be seen what area of Manchester City’s youth academy Harrison Duncan would be expected to integrate into, with the club certainly not shy to push talents into higher age rankings to strengthen their talents at a quicker rate.