Manchester City starlet admits similarities to Kevin De Bruyne as Pep Guardiola prepares for new wonderkid emergence | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola has another wonderkid within the Manchester City academy, and this time a player who believes he is similar to the legendary Kevin de Bruyne.

Having only joined the City Football Academy’s extensive development system in the summer of 2023 from West Ham United, Divine Mukasa is already one of the most in-demand talents within youth football.

One report during the recent January transfer window had detailed that the 17-year-old was attracting interest from across European football for the coming weeks and months, with prominent club sides in Germany and the Netherlands monitoring his progress.

That was the line of reporting from transfer market insider Fabrizio Romano, who revealed at the time that reigning Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen had included Mukasa on a shortlist of targets for the future, while Ajax were also said to be keeping a close eye on events.

And perhaps Mukasa’s development in the space of a year and a half at Manchester City is a direct product of his inspirational figures within the club’s first-team, particularly Kevin De Bruyne.

Speaking during a new interview with the Manchester Evening News’ Joe Bray, City’s teenage attacking midfield talent admitted his belief that there are similarities between his own game and that of the aforementioned Belgian club legend and current captain.

“[Kevin De Bruyne] is similar in terms of always looking to create and score goals. From the times I’ve trained with them, I’ve tried to pick up as much as I can from the way he behaves, he gives everything every day,” said Divine Mukasa.

He continued, “He’s a good person to look up to. It’s a privilege really [to train with the first team]. They are the best team in the world with the best players in the world, I’m really grateful to be around it.”

On the wider strategy put in place by the club’s Academy system, the 17-year-old said, “Everything we do in the academy is based on the first team, that’s how you build a pathway for the players and make sure if we do ever get the chance to go up there then we’re ready.”

Mukasa’s statistics certainly speak for themselves, and many would imagine that given the current standard of performance for the club’s academy, a permanent place in Guardiola’s first-team set-up can only be a matter of time away.

Across his 16 appearances for Manchester City’s Academy squad in the Under-18 Premier League so far this season, the teenager has managed to record a staggering 13 goals plus a further 14 assists.

In the FA Youth Cup too, Mukasa has also added a goal and six assists to his season tally, which now stands at 31 appearances for the club across various competitions and age groups, with a total of 14 goals and 24 assists to his name.