Burnley Academy star joins Man City

[NottsClaret]

£500k is great business for Burnley. Good luck to the kid, but being a 'star' at 14 is still a long way from even making it as a pro at any level.

As mentioned, John Cofie went for £1m and was never heard of again. Jamie Vardy was released into non-league at 16 by Wednesday's youth set up. Man City can afford these gambles, but that's all it is.

[kentonclaret]

Good chance we'll never hear of this lad again. Can't really blame him for wanting to go, no doubt his parents have been offered all kinds of sweeteners.

I didn’t realise Don Corleone posted on here.

[Clarets4me]

It was ever so ... a while back, Everton signed a 16 year old ( who'd played 25 1st team games, scoring 16 goals ) off us after we refused to pay his Grandfather a £500 bung to sign him on a full Professional contract .... that was Tommy Lawton in 1937 !

[Paul Waine]

Article in The Times, 10 days ago, about development paths for a number of Premier League youngsters.

Many more youngsters switching clubs and compensation paid to previous club. It mentions a youngster moving from Sheffield Wednesday to City for £1.5 million. It also mentions Ngumoha moving from Chelsea to Liverpool - compensation still to be agree. Also, that Chelsea wanted to keep him, but Ngumoha chose Liverpool.

Max Dowman, Rio Ngumoha: the new generation ready-made for Premier League

https://www.thetimes.com/article/775f6b ... afa2226506

[Paul Waine]

Does not sit comfortable being the Utd, City and Liverpool academy feeder club. Wonder if Blackburn has the same issues.l ans they seem to produce a number of professionals. Also how do the relatively smaller London clubs Fulham, Palace, QPR and Watford tear the same issues with Chelsea l, Arsenal and Spurs.
In other words any way to nip this in the bud.

Times article I've just now posted reports Ngumoha moving from Chelsea to Liverpool - and Chelsea not being able to do anything to persuade him to stay at Cobham.

No one is going to "nip this in the bud" - the youngsters aren't locked in under any contracts to any club until they are older.

[Milltown1882]

Is this not another form of child exploitation?

Surely selling children is illegal aswell as immoral

Selling children, I love this forum so much.

Obviously a talented footballer and we’ve been compensated. He might make it, might not who knows. It’s not that deep.