From Italy: Manchester City ‘rejected’ by AC Milan forward star  | OneFootball

Manchester City and Manchester United have both been unable to convince teenage talent Francesco Camarda to leave AC Milan this summer.

The 16-year-old is the latest high-profile youth talent to reject the opportunity to sign for the City Football Academy this summer, with Manchester City’s silverware success continuing beyond Pep Guardiola’s first-team.

Manchester City will bid to win an unprecedented fifth successive Premier League title next season, meanwhile the Blues’ Under-18s will be looking to win the prestigious FA Youth Cup for a fifth time, after a 4-0 victory against Leeds United to lift the trophy at the Etihad Stadium in May.

Four second-half goals helped Manchester City’s U18s to the trophy for a fourth time last season, with the same squad also reaching the Premier League Cup final, but suffering a 2-1 loss to Manchester United at Leigh Sports Village.

The Under-18s have announced that Oliver Reiss will become the academy team’s new head coach for the 2024/25 season, with a number of the 41-year-old’s squad currently training with the first-team in the United States.

Guardiola has a cohort from the City Football Academy available for the pre-season tour of the USA, with Manchester City playing their third match of the tour against Barcelona on Saturday in Florida.

Manchester City have suffered defeats to both Celtic and AC Milan in their opening two matches, with the Blues losing 2-3 to the Serie A side at the Yankee Stadium in New York on Saturday, despite goals from both Erling Haaland and James McAtee.

The Premier League champions have also been involved in a battle with AC Milan away from the pitch, with Manchester City having tried to sign the Italian club’s teenage striker Francesco Camarda this summer, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.

The 16-year-old, who made two senior appearances for AC Milan last season, has reportedly rejected interest from both Manchester City and Manchester United in favour of remaining at the San Siro.

Football Italia report that Camarda has signed a new three-year deal with AC Milan, despite lucrative offers from the Etihad Stadium, Old Trafford, and Bundesliga heavyweights Borussia Dortmund.

The Italy Under-19 striker was directly involved in five goals in eight UEFA Youth League matches last season, and scored 14 goals across four different competitions during the 2023/24 campaign.