Cavan Sullivan: Who is the 14-year-old that's reportedly set to sign for Man City? | OneFootball

Sullivan has been lauded as the best player in the world at his age and he's reportedly signed the most lucrative MLS Homegrown Player deal in history. It's not everyday that a player who just made his MLS Next Pro debut inks a deal to sign with arguably the best side in the world in Man City before they even have their driver's license.

So, who exactly is Cavan Sullivan who's set to join Man City upon turning 18-years-old?

What was the reported deal for Sullivan?

According to a report from The Athletic, Man City reportedly agreed to shell out a fee just north of $2m for Sullivan, an enormous amount even by their standards for a player who has yet to make his first-team debut in MLS.

The deal for Sullivan could rise up to $5m if certain bonuses and add-ons are met, and Sullivan is set to stay put in Philadelphia until September 28, 2027, which is his 18th birthday.

Who does Sullivan currently play for?

Sullivan has climbed through the Philadelphia Union academy and just recently made his debut at for the Eastern Conference club's second team, Philadelphia Union II in MLS Next Pro. Sullivan came off the bench as a substitute to make his first professional appearance on March 24 against New England Revolution II and grabbed an assist for the game-winning goal in the process.

What's so special about Sullivan?

Sullivan plays primarily as an attacking midfielder and has received plenty of praise for his ability on the ball and the ability to create chances out of nothing. Whenever Sullivan takes the pitch, he's often the best player on it, attracting a lot of attention from scouts.

"We're from the Philadelphia area, so naturally people will make comparisons to Pulisic, and I put my hand up and say, when I was in the youth academy here, people talked about Christian and I just said 'I don't know. We'll see. He's obviously, clearly, incredibly talented and 12 years old here, but there's still a long way to go,' Philadelphia first team head coach Jim Curtin said in an interview with Backheeled last year.

"I think Cavan, even more so than Chrisitian, has stood out and turned even more heads. That's maybe the nicest compliment that I can give to a young kid that's still got a ton of years ahead of him. But it's not just me saying it, right? It's every scout not just in the country, but the world, so he's got the potential to do big things."

Can Sullivan play against NYCFC?

For those who might not know, NYCFC are under the City Football Group ownership umbrella -- the some company that owns Man City.

In other leagues, players wouldn't be allowed to play against their parent club. But, as you may have learned, MLS isn't really like any other league in the world. We won't know if Sullivan will be able to play against NYCFC until the deal is made official.

When will Sullivan make his MLS debut?

There's no clear-cut answer on when Sullivan could make his first-team debut, but since he's already broken through with Union II in MLS Next Pro, don't be surprised if he's earning appearances in MLS in a couple years' time.

As he'll be flying across the pond to join Man City in September of 2028, he'll want to get as much first-team experience as possible before trying to impress Pep Guardiola or whoever is in charge at the Etihad Stadium by then. The report from The Athletic also explained that Man City had hoped to send Sullivan out on Lommel SK in Belgium once he turned 16, but discussions between reigning Premier League champions and Philadelphia changed course so that the youngster will stay in the US.