The English champions have one of the best squads in Europe, but several homegrown players are pushing for inclusion
Manchester City boast an incredible youth academy and several graduates now look perfectly poised to make a big impact in the Premier League.
There are, of course, those that will have to move away from the Etihad Stadium to realise their dream of making it in the big time, with Gavin Bazunu, Darko Gyabi and Romeo Lavia all set to move to rivals this summer.
However, a number of potential stars look capable of following in Phil Foden's footsteps by becoming key players in Pep Guardiola's first team.
Indeed, with City once again set to compete on four fronts – and this time during a World Cup year – several talented youngsters should get a chance to shine in 2022-23.
Below, GOAL takes a look at the players most likely to earn some game time under Guardiola this season…
Getty ImagesCole Palmer
The emergence of Cole Palmer is one of the reasons why City allowed Gabriel Jesus to join Arsenal for £45 million ($55m).
There is a strong belief among first-team coaches that the forward has the quality and the personality to become an important member of the senior squad.
The 20-year-old has already shown his skills and ability in his 13 competitive appearances to date, including a Champions League goal away to Club Brugge and a dazzling FA Cup performance against Swindon.
"Cole has a special quality that's difficult to find, he finishes it most of the time," Guardiola said after City's win in Belgium. "He's training with us and taking our principles. He's a player for the future of this club."
Injuries cut short his opportunities last season but he will continue his development this term, following a similar path to Phil Foden with cameos and domestic cup appearances.
AdvertisementLuke Mbete
The London-born defender has been talked about as a prospect since he joined from Brentford as a 13-year-old and he made his first-team debut in the Carabao Cup last season.
"He trained with us for a long time and his application is really high," Guardiola said of Mbete when he was part of the first-team squad for a Champions League last-16 tie with Sporting CP.
Strong and with a good reading of dangerous situations, Mbete has plenty of the traits that the City boss likes to see from his central defenders.
Now, it's about gaining experience and he will get plenty of that training with the first team on a regular basis this season.
“I feel I am learning and improving all the time and there couldn’t be a better club to keep developing," Mbete said after signing a contract extension until 2027.
Getty ImagesKayky
City spent an initial £9m ($12m) in April 2021 to secure the services of the 17-year-old, who had already made his debut for Brazilian side Fluminese.
Moving to Europe at such a young age, it was always thought that he would take time to bed in from both a footballing and personal perspective, which is why he was given the opportunity to grow in the Elite Development Squad (EDS).
A left-footed winger who often plays on the right, Kayky boasts that classic Brazilian flair for dribbling but he is still getting used to the positional requirements at City.
However, his strength and conditioning have already improved since arriving in Manchester and he should add to his game time in the Premier League (just six minutes to date) and the FA Cup (four) this season.
"He’s very young," Guardiola said. "We know of his talent; otherwise, City wouldn’t have signed him. He’s very smart, very prepared."
GettyJames McAtee
After an outstanding campaign for the EDS, the 19-year-old was named Premier League 2 Player of the Season thanks to 18 goals and seven assists in just 23 appearances.
His balance and vision earned him the nickname 'The Salford Silva' and by adding a killer instinct to his game, he has become an even more dangerous player than before.
The midfielder has made six appearances for the first team and signed a contract extension keeping him at the club until 2026 in February.
"It's important he's fully committed to the club, he's a City supporter, and he loves to be here," Guardiola said. "We have a lot of confidence in him."
However, it must be noted that a number of clubs have shown an interest in taking him on loan this summer, particularly after his call-up to the England under-21 squad.