Bacary Sagna thinks Manchester City can match Barcelona if players stay together.
The ESPN FC panel assess the rumours linking Napoli’s Jorginho and Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez with moves to Manchester City.
Manchester City have no plans to send any of their academy players on loan to Leeds United, sources have told ESPN FC.
The Championship side this month appointed former Argentina boss Marcelo Bielsa as their new manager, a coach that Pep Guardiola described as someone who “makes the players much, much better.”
It has led to speculation that City could consider loaning some of their young prospects, including defender Tosin Adarabioyo and forwards Brahim Diaz and Lukas Nmecha, to the Yorkshire club.
“My admiration for Marcelo Bielsa is huge …” he said at a news conference before City played Monaco in the Champions League round of 16 in 2017.
“Still, I didn’t meet one guy, a former player from Marcelo Biesla who speaks no good about him. They are grateful about his influence on their careers in football.”
But ESPN FC has been told that there have been no talks between the two clubs with City already having well-established links across Europe where they send their promising young players.
Girona, who finished 10th in La Liga, initially took five City players on loan last season while Dutch side NAC Breda also took another four.
City are likely to continue their links with those clubs with young American defender Erik Palmer-Brown among those linked with a move to the Eredivisie club.
England under-19 international Phil Foden is set to remain with the first-team squad despite speculation of a loan move.
Jonathan is ESPN FC’s Manchester City correspondent. Follow him on Twitter: @jonnysmiffy.
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