City boss Pep Guardiola can already rely on Erling Haaland up front. He joined City from German club Borussia Dortmund last summer and enjoyed an incredible debut season at the Etihad, notching 52 goals in 53 appearances. That stunning form helped City win the treble as they triumphed in the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League.
Haaland has become the first player to win both the Premier League Player of the Season and Young Player of the Season awards in the same year. He is the only player who might be able to rival Lionel Messi for this year’s Ballon d’Or, although the Argentine is still expected to lift the coveted trophy after helping his country win the 2022 World Cup.
If Haaland is out injured or needs a rest, then Guardiola can select Julian Alvarez at centre-forward instead. Alvarez has also had a great debut campaign with City, having scored 17 goals in 49 matches. He played an important role in Argentina’s World Cup triumph, too.
Unfortunately for City’s Premier League and European rivals, they now look poised to sign another striker who may one day be able to challenge Haaland and Alvarez for a starting spot in attack.
Writing on Twitter, Romano has provided the latest on City’s pursuit of Luca Fletcher. He is a 16-year-old striker who currently plays for Reading Youth and England U16s.
Romano states City are ‘closing in on his signing’ as the two clubs are in the process of penning the necessary paperwork. City have agreed to pay Reading – who were relegated from the Championship last term – an initial £600,000. The deal also includes add-ons which will depend on how Fletcher performs in the future.
The teenager has already passed his medical in Manchester, which means it will not be long before the move is announced.
Romano ends his tweet by stating it is ‘part of [the] City project to sign and develop the best young talents’.
Indeed, Fletcher could end up playing with some top young players in the City academy. The Prem champions have exciting young players such as James McAtee, Liam Delap, Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Callum Doyle on their books.
As Fletcher is just 16, it will likely be a few years before City fans get to see him represent their first team. However, the fact he is playing for England at youth level suggests he has a bright future ahead of him.
And the emergence of Phil Foden has shown that young players can force their way into City’s senior squad, even if it is packed full of top-class stars.
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