City's 6 best wonderkids - meet future superstars ready to light up Youth Cup

Manchester City are back in the FA Youth Cup final for the second year in a row and ready to retain their title after thrashing Leeds 4-0 last season.

The four-time winners are one of the most dominant academies in English football, producing a raft of England players and world-class talents for Pep Guardiola's first team.

The likes of Cole Palmer, Oscar Bobb, Morgan Rogers, Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Daniel Sturridge have played in this game for Manchester City before being capped for their countries, and it is a stage where the great talents can announce themselves to the world.

So as City line up to face Aston Villa in Monday's final at Villa Park, who are the six biggest stars to keep an eye on?

Our Manchester City expert JACK GAUGHAN picks out the gems from the vaunted setup to remember the names for the future.

STEPHEN MFUNI (centre back/left back, age: 17)

The youngest member of last summer’s pre-season tour to the United States, training with the likes of Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland.

He only turned 17 in February but is already a regular in Will Antwi’s England Under 19s squad. Very impressive when stepping out with possession and is being developed quickly during training sessions with Pep Guardiola’s first team.

Although appearing slight, the defender is strong in duels and has impressed coaches with his reading of situations.

‘I wasn’t expecting me, at my age, to go with them to America ahead of other people – crazy,’ Mfuni told Mail Sport.

‘I’m always up there now. It’s matching their tempo, it’s so much faster over there. If I take that into games I am way ahead of everyone – two steps ahead. Because you know what will happen, what will come next. Over there everything is bang on.’

DIVINE MUKASA (central midfielder, 17)

Probably the star of the show for City’s Under 18s this season. Sixteen goals and 15 assists in the league campaign are ridiculous numbers, leading head coach Oliver Reiss to describe the Londoner as ‘brilliant', 'unbelievable' and 'incredible'.

It’s hard to argue with those descriptions at the end of a stellar campaign that has brought six assists in the Youth Cup too, driving forward while remaining languid and possessing an eye for a final pass.

Signed from West Ham United in 2023, he’s become the lynchpin of City’s teams and acted as a crucial part of their progression to the Uefa Youth League quarter-finals.

Mukasa attempts impish penalties, scoring a Panenka off the bar this year, but did miss one without a run up in a defeat by AZ Alkmaar.

REIGAN HESKEY (winger, 17)

Son of ex-England striker Emile and has an older brother, Jaden, also in City’s academy setup.

Heskey probably hasn’t earned the international recognition he deserves yet – only a first Under 17s cap last September – and can be overlooked for Mukasa when plaudits are handed out at club level.

But the 17-year-old, who’s been at the club since he was eight, is dynamite around the box, with 36 goal involvements in 37 matches across six competitions for different age groups. Eighteen goals in the league make him City’s leading scorer.

He has previously undergone sessions with an individual coach utilised by Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard and Bruno Fernandes – but is one benefitting from a new regime at City where there is an additional emphasis on one-to-one coaching twice a week.

RYAN McAIDOO (winger, 16)

Signed from Chelsea last summer and his first season has gone better than expected. Had been operating in central areas at Chelsea but City have used McAidoo solely as a wide man and he is thriving.

Still only 16, he started the Uefa Youth League quarter-final defeat at AZ Alkmaar and was the brightest spark on the night. He scored a 20-minute hat-trick against Feyenoord in an earlier round and is studying Jeremy Doku and Savinho.

Five appearances for the Under 21s suggests that the England Under 17s international will likely find a more permanent home up with Ben Wilkinson’s older group next year.

Mail Sport asked McAidoo about whether the strides he’d been expecting to take giant strides this term – called up to train with Guardiola on one occasion too. ‘No not really,’ he said. ‘I’d planned it to go well but not this well.

‘Now I’m getting doubled up on. I have to look who is around. I’m not always going to be allowed to dribble so sometimes a little one-two or even recycling to the other side is the better option. Having the defender on his toes helps me.

‘Most of my goals going into the next few games is crossing the ball a lot more. If I can cross the ball more then I can add more skills to when I don’t choose to. That comes down to unpredictability.’

McAidoo was speaking a couple of weeks before crossing for Matty Warhurst to score City’s winner at Watford in the last four of the Youth Cup.

OLIVER WHATMUFF (goalkeeper, 17)

An England Under 18s goalkeeper, Whatmuff started as a central defender when playing in Blackburn before joining City at the age of eight.

Whatmuff plays up an age group so has been sharing the gloves with Max Hudson at this level but is expected to start the final.

A strong shot stopper with 13 clean sheets from 28 games across five competitions this season, the Lancaster-born teenager is also typically decent with his feet after years watching Ederson at City.

‘It’s different here,’ he told Mail Sport. ‘You’re more involved but not. Certain games you’re just not in it. But there are times you need to play out, make lots of saves.’

His relaxed demeanour away from the sticks has shades of Aaron Ramsdale in his youth.

FINLAY GORMAN (central midfielder/right winger, 16)

A lot of talk around Gorman after City secured a record seven-figure deal to sign him from Leeds United last year.

The 16-year-old has been instrumental in the run to another Youth Cup final, scoring four goals – including a hat-trick at West Brom.

Diminutive with a deft left foot, his style may prompt comparisons with some others to have worn the blue of City. Academy bosses will hope he kicks on next season and becomes a star man when he moves up to featuring for the Under 19s in European competition.

Seven goals and eight assists in an Under 18s team to top the Premier League is a decent return for the year but there should be more to come.