Pep Guardiola has built a strong squad at Etihad but it is quite evident that he is still looking to improve a couple of areas in the squad before the start of the next season. He might not spend too much on improving his first team, but will have to improve on the depth of the squad, if he is to compete on all fronts next season.
This has seen the club linked with some exciting youngsters, who can start off as backups and one name now doing the rounds is PSG star Yacine Adli.
Adli – A Wanted Man
Wanted by the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich, 17-year old Yacine Adli is the latest sensation to come out of the PSG academy. Making headlines in the French capital, Adli is yet to sign a professional deal with the Ligue 1 giants and reports claim that a number of clubs are now ready to poach him away in the summer.
He will be available for a compensation fee of around £250,000 and it is understood that Arsenal and Manchester City are both interested in bringing him to England.
Who Is Adli?
A regular presence in the first team training at PSG, with the likes of Neymar Jr. and Kylian Mbappe, Adli is likened to English sensation Ryan Sessegnon, who is currently making headlines at Fulham. He has been at the PSG academy since he was a kid but is yet to break into the first team, because of the amount of talent in the squad under Unai Emery.
A serious part of the PSG team that did well in the UEFA Youth League recently, Adli made 11 appearances in that competition and also scored a goal, in a group stage game against Celtic.
A central midfielder, who can also play in an advanced role or on the wing, the 17-year old is a versatile and gifted player, who loves to run the game with the ball at his feet. He is an extremely confident teenager, with great technique and maturity for a player his age, and is definitely destined for great things in the future.
He loves to sit back and spray passes for the runners ahead of him and is equally adept at shouldering the defensive responsibilities, which shows both facets of his game. A glance at his game shows that he is way more mature than his age and is a player every top team in Europe would love to have.
Is City The Right Choice?
Adli is valued at just £250,000 and when compared to Ryan Sessegnon, who will reportedly cost over £40m, is a serious talent, one of the most exciting in Europe. He has been effective in the previous years for the French junior sides and is not too far away from a national team call-up.
He may not be a readymade option for the club that are after him but at just 17, he will only get better and is an investment worth making.
He has recently revealed that he would love to break into the first team at PSG and cement a place at the highest level but at the moment, he might not get his chances for at least a couple of years. So a move away from France may not be a bad thing for the teenager.
If he decides to do so, there are very few managers that can attract him, as well as Pep Guardiola, can, in the summer. The Spanish maestro is not afraid of giving youngsters chances to shine and with the midfield at Etihad needing strengthening, Adli may well get his chance to impress sooner than later.
But will he be able to perform at the same level in England?