Manchester City advancing on deal for Southampton and England international midfielder | OneFootball

Premier League champions Manchester City are ‘advancing’ on a deal to recruit the captain of one of England’s youth squads, according to David Ornstein.

Whilst the talk of the summer will no doubt remain transfer business connected to Manchester City’s first-team squad, activity concerning the next crop of talents for the future should certainly not be underestimated in terms of importance.

Manchester City recruitment chiefs have developed an excellent reputation for their talent ID skills when it comes to rising prospects, and that skillset has been put into practice across Europe, and even further afield into South America in recent years.

But the latest information sees the Etihad Stadium club connected with movement closer to home, and the imminent recruitment of one of England’s most highly-rated midfield talents chased by a number of big-name clubs.

That is according to the information of The Athletic’s David Ornstein, who reports that City are currently ‘advancing’ on a deal to sign England Under-16 captain and Southampton midfielder Harrison Miles following the expiry of his contract on the south coast.

The 15-year-old has already played for Southampton Under-21s and had reportedly been targeted by a number of other ‘leading’ English clubs including Manchester City’s Premier League title rivals Arsenal.

However, The Athletic reports that Manchester City are currently trying to beat their rivals to the teenager and a formal agreement on a long-term deal is now close.

On a senior recruitment front, Etihad Stadium bosses continue to hold an interest in Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimaraes, despite the expiry of the Brazilian international’s £100 million release clause last month.

It is understood that Manchester City have already identified what they feel is a price tag that could get a deal done, however progress over negotiations for the player have somewhat slowed due to his ongoing involvement at Copa America.

City are also likely to look into the possibility of signing Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich later this month, but only after the versatile midfielder is complete with his duties at the ongoing European Championships in Germany.

Manchester City fans can continue to expect further updates concerning youth player recruitment in the coming days and weeks, as players up and down the country seek to identify what they feel is the next best step in their development pathways.