Liverpool set to beat Manchester City to striker signing | OneFootball

Manchester City are set to face defeat to Liverpool in the chase for one of the Football League’s best young strikers, according to new reports.

While City continue to monitor long-term attacking reinforcements across Europe and the domestic ladder, it appears one highly-rated prospect lower down the English football pyramid will now be heading elsewhere — despite interest from the Etihad Stadium.

Over recent seasons, City have continued to build one of the most productive youth talent pathways in European football, with several rising stars either emerging into the first-team or being moved on for significant profits.

That strategy includes a sustained focus on the English lower leagues — where technical scouts regularly assess standout teenage talents capable of transitioning into top-level environments.

From the club’s investment in talents like Mahamadou Sangare from PSG earlier this summer, City’s profile in the youth recruitment market has been significant. However, competition is fierce — and the latest development points to another Premier League giant outmanoeuvring the Blues in the chase for a prolific young forward.

According to the information of talkSPORT, Premier League champions Liverpool have now beaten Manchester City to the signing of teenage striker talent Will Wright in excess of £200,000 with add-ons.

It is further detailed that Premier League sides Arsenal, Brentford and Burnley have also been monitoring the situation of the Salford City starlet, but it is the allure of Anfield that has seen Liverpool win the race.

This outcome will be frustrating for City officials who had identified Wright as a standout performer within the EFL youth ranks last season, with the 17-year-old earning praise for his technical quality, movement, and instinctive finishing for Salford City’s academy setup.

In this instance, however, Liverpool’s clear and immediate pathway to elite youth football, alongside the club’s recent first-team success, appears to have been a decisive factor in Wright’s decision.

Moving forward, City are likely to maintain their focus on alternative emerging forward talents — both at home and across the City Football Group network. With Ryan McAidoo and Divine Mukasa already exciting figures in the current youth setup, the Blues may opt for a more selective approach in the remainder of the market.

That said, the latest development serves as a reminder of how competitive England’s talent identification space has become — and that even City, for all their dominance in recruitment recently, will face setbacks when it comes to attracting the country’s top young prospects.