Another promising young talent heads to the Etihad
Manchester City are set to add another highly-regarded academy prospect to their ranks, this time prising Heaven Kilwa away from Aston Villa.
The England youth international has rejected a scholarship deal at Villa Park, making him the only player in his age group to turn down such terms and remain in the Midlands. According to The Athletic's Jacob Tanswell, Kilwa is now expected to join City instead.
It is a significant blow to Villa's long-term development plans. The club have worked hard to establish clear pathways into Unai Emery's senior squad, but the pull of City's facilities and track record with young players proved too strong.
Kilwa is highly regarded in the industry. He has featured for England at Under-15 and Under-16 level and has already stepped up to play for Villa's Under-18s on six occasions, scoring twice.
As part of the switch, Aston Villa will receive training compensation for the teenager.
Rather than being thrown into senior action, Kilwa will most likely initially integrate into City's Under-18 squad. A rapid promotion into Oliver Reiss's new-look Elite Development Squad setup is the longer-term plan.