Manwan: If Manchester City sells Lewis, it will release misinformation, and young players will find it difficult to get an opportunity

August 19th News Manchester City may sell the treasure trained by the youth training camp when Nottingham Forest is very interested in Rico Lewis. Manchester Evening News commented on this.

In recent years, Manchester City has become familiar with selling young players. They have earned nearly 30 million pounds this summer by selling Jacob Wright to Norwich City and Jan Cootto to Dortmund. It was a pretty good deal for two players who never made it to the first team.

Mccarty's transfer to Nottingham Forest was also confirmed last Saturday, which brought the club another £30 million in revenue. McCarty is slightly different, and many people want him to be in a better position. The 22-year-old midfielder made a total of 34 appearances at the club, but only started nine times. McCarty only started three times in the Premier League last season, and when Manchester City encountered difficulties, he realized his chances of being in the club were slim, even though he has been with the team since he was 11 years old. From a business perspective, it is reasonable to sell McCarthy. Not only did Manchester City get a considerable transfer fee, it almost offset the cost of signing Sherkey (one year younger than McCarthy), which was obviously a wise move.

However, Manchester City must draw a line somewhere and selling Lewis will cross that line. The 20-year-old is one of the treasures in Manchester City's youth training camp and the first player to make a breakthrough in the first team since Foden. He has made 95 appearances for the club and started 40 times in 59 Premier League games. His style of playing is exactly what Manchester City expected for youth training players since the Guardiola era.

Lewis once again proved his worth against Wolves, he performed well at the right-back position and possessed the tactical intelligence and technical ability of the midfield. Despite his poor performance in the second half of last season, he wasn't the only player to go through a trough, and it was the first time he's been part of a disoriented team. After the game, Lewis made it clear that he did not want to leave Manchester City and called it a "dream club" and he did not want to play football elsewhere. But Nottingham Forest’s interest is not groundless, and they have obviously received some hints that the deal is possible. Indeed, Manchester City will need to sell some players in the coming weeks. Guardiola once again stressed that the team was too crowded and expected at least two to three players to leave the team before the transfer window closed. Lewis for sale may not be part of this summer’s plan, but it is indeed an opportunity to consider if other players are having a hard time selling.

However, selling Lewis and McCarthy at the same time in the same transfer window will send out the wrong message, not only to the outside world, but also to the inside. Young players aged 16, 17 and 18 will see the trend that youth training players are sold instead of getting the opportunity they deserve.

To be fair, James Trafford has returned this summer and O'Reilly will get a chance in the midfield. But Trafford's playing time may be affected by Donnarumma's potential joining, and O'Reilly also faces fierce competition in the midfield. Success at Manchester City has been a difficult task for young players. This is one of the best teams in the world, guided by the best head coach in the world. To be part of the 25-man roster, you have to be very good, and Lewis is such a player.