Morgan Rogers made a huge move to Chelsea in 2023, joining for a record-breaking £117 million. Interestingly, he first faced the Blues at the tender age of 18. That was during the 2020 FA Youth Cup final when he scored for Manchester City's under-18s. That day, Cole Palmer and Liam Delap also found the back of the net as City won 3-2 at St George's Park. A moment that seemed small at the time is now shaping the future of the first team.
Looking ahead to the 2026-27 season, Xabi Alonso may have six former Manchester City academy stars on his roster. This is close to double the number of homegrown talents from Chelsea's Cobham system. The financial outlay from Chelsea reflects this shift, with nearly £300 million spent on these players since 2023. The list includes Rogers, Palmer, Delap, Romeo Lavia, Jamie Gittens, and Tosin Adarabioyo — all hailing from City's youth ranks.
By contrast, Alonso is expected to include just three players who came up through Chelsea's own youth setup: Levi Colwill, Reece James, and Josh Acheampong. Trevoh Chalobah is still a registered player, but he is close to sealing a transfer to Italian side Como in Serie A. A former insider told BBC Sport that Man City graduates are often ahead of the game, saying they already know what elite-level football looks like.
The connection between the two clubs runs deep. Joe Shields, who was once a key figure in Man City's academy recruitment, now plays a central role in both youth and senior scouting at Chelsea. Other former City staff, including first-team coach Calum McFarlane and academy director Glenn van der Kraan, have also joined Chelsea. This overlap in staff is one reason the Blues continue to target talent from the east Manchester club.
Former Man City executive Tom Glick once held the role of president of business at Chelsea, showing how intertwined the clubs have become. Chelsea's interest in Man City’s academy isn't new — they had eyes on Michael Olise before he joined Bayern Munich, and had also looked into signing defender Nico O'Reilly.