Man City in lead for star striker as Guardiola moves to destroy three-year AC Milan plan

Francesco Camarda, AC Milan, November 2023

Manchester City are reportedly leading the race for AC Milan 15-year-old Francesco Camarda, in a move that would wreck his current club’s three-year plan.

Camarda is no ordinary 15-year-old. Indeed, the striker has been trusted to appear for AC Milan’s senior side twice already this season.

He made history in the first of his senior appearances, becoming the youngest player ever to feature in the Serie A.

His first senior goal is yet to come, but for somebody with more than 400 goals across age groups, it cannot be long before Camarda makes his mark.

In youth football this season, the striker has impressed, scoring nine goals and providing three assists.

Milan are hopeful that he’s going to have a bright future, and are planning on offering him a professional contract when he turns 16 in March – players below that age cannot sign deals.

But there are a lot of other sides also hopeful that they can lure him away before that happens.

Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City are some of the English sides that are keen on getting Camarda onboard.

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Man City ‘in the lead’ for Camarda

It’s not clear what package they are offering, but according to Calciomercato, City are ‘in the lead’ for the young striker.

The Manchester outfit have brought some very fine players through their academy in recent years.

Phil Foden is the most famous example of where coming through City’s academy can take you, having directly contributed to 124 goals in 251 senior games, and won five Premier League titles, a Champions League, two FA Cups and four League Cups.

Other notable academy graduates include Cole Palmer – currently starring at Chelsea – and Rico Lewis.

As such, if Camarda was to make the move to City, they could certainly ensure he reaches his full potential.

City could ruin three-year AC Milan plan

It’s reported that Milan plan to give Camarda a three-year professional deal once he turns 16.

Alongside that would be a ‘gradual but increasingly constant insertion into the dynamics of the first team’.

As such, if City manage to lure him over to England, they’ll ruin a rather comprehensive plan for his future at Milan.

Pep Guardiola’s side will obviously have their own plan of how Camarda can progress, and given they are said to be in the lead, he and his family might well see that as the right one.