City look to tie down 25-goal youth striker
Manchester City have opened negotiations with teenage striker Teddie Lamb over a new contract, according to sources. The 17-year-old finished last season as the club's top scorer at Under-18 level with 25 goals, a campaign that also saw him play a key role in City winning the FA Youth Cup and the Under-18s Premier League North title.
Lamb joined City's academy from Leyton Orient in 2025 after his performances for the League Two side's youth teams caught the attention of watching scouts. He is currently on a scholarship deal expected to run until 2027, but the club are moving quickly to improve his terms and deter growing interest from rival clubs.
The striker is highly regarded at the Etihad, with high hopes for his long-term development. City are planning to keep Lamb as part of a renewed focus on their youth teams and improving players to break into the first team in future.
Phil Foden remains the most notable academy product involved at first-team level, but the emergence of Nico O'Reilly and Rico Lewis has been a major strength. Many academy graduates have also left the club and impressed elsewhere — Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Felix Nmecha and Liam Delap among them.
The club hope Lamb will be the next to progress through the youth ranks and make his mark on the first team. There are long-term plans for his development which will be carefully managed, and signing a new contract would give him the opportunity to pick up where he left off.
As part of City's renewed focus on academy development, they are also putting plans in place to poach the best talent from rival academies across the country. Lamb's arrival from Leyton Orient has proved a major success, and they are keen to replicate that as they continue to bolster their youth ranks.
More recently, City agreed a deal to sign Leicester's teenage sensation Jeremy Monga, with former Everton chief Keith Wyness telling Football Insider that Enzo Maresca was key to the deal. The 16-year-old, who had been closing in on a move to Arsenal, will join City for a fee totalling £10million and is expected to play a role for City's academy rather than break immediately into first-team plans.