Manchester City targeting 17-year-old academy star for first-team promotion reveals Pep Guardiola | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola has revealed that Manchester City’s first-team set-up have one eye on the continued rise of Ryan McAidoo within their Academy system.

City’s commitment to youth development has been a recurring theme under Pep Guardiola, with the Catalan coach regularly offering opportunities to promising talents emerging from the club’s Elite Development Squad.

Following a season that has already seen several Academy graduates integrated into senior training and match action, attention is now turning toward another standout name impressing behind the scenes at the City Football Academy.

Ryan McAidoo – a dynamic 17-year-old forward signed from Chelsea’s youth system – has been attracting significant praise from coaches and analysts within the club’s youth structure, as well as those watching the club’s youth set-up over the last few months in particular.

Known for technical quality, composure in front of goal, and maturity far beyond his years, McAidoo’s progress has caught the eye of City’s senior staff. His performances in the Under-18 Premier League have positioned him as one of the most exciting young forwards in the country, and Pep Guardiola’s latest comments only reinforce that belief.

The City boss has made no secret of his admiration for homegrown talent and has routinely handed opportunities to Academy players in cup competitions. With a busy schedule ahead, Guardiola’s acknowledgement of McAidoo adds weight to the notion that the teenager could soon find himself training more regularly with senior professionals at the Etihad Campus.

Speaking to reporters during his press conference ahead of the trip to South Wales this week, Guardiola also confirmed that academy starlet Divine Mukasa would travel with the first-team squad for the Carabao Cup fourth round.

Quizzed on the process when deciding which young players will feature with the senior side, particularly given the Under-21s clash in the EFL Trophy 24 hours earlier, Guardiola said, “Well, I remember in the past with Brahim Diaz, with Cole Palmer, with I don’t know, Morgan [Rogers], there are many, many players – Tosin [Adarabioyo] – many, many players since I arrived from the academy in this competition played a lot and it’s an incredible opportunity.

“I would love to have more players from the academy than could help [vs Swansea]. In the last game against Huddersfield, two brothers played some minutes with us, so it’s really good, a really good competition for that.”

And one name that has been consistently linked with a place in City’s first-team squad sooner rather than later is the aforementioned Ryan McAidoo. Guardiola said of the teenager, “Yeah, he’s on the radar, yeah, absolutely. We talked with Kolo Toure… and Kolo is completely in touch with the academy, not just the second team, but other teams.”

Pep Guardiola’s confirmation that McAidoo is “on the radar” for senior involvement will only heighten excitement among City fans eager to see more young players graduate through the club’s system.

The teenager has already been promoted into Manchester City’s Premier League matchday squad on one occasion this season, involved in proceedings during the home win over Burnley at the Etihad Stadium.

With Divine Mukasa already earning a place in the travelling squad and not for the first time this season, it would not be surprising to see Ryan McAidoo follow a similar path in the weeks and months to come.

Given Guardiola’s history of rewarding progress from within, the teenager could find himself involved in upcoming training sessions or included regularly in future Carabao Cup and Premier League squads, especially as City continue to navigate a demanding fixture list across competitions.