8 September 2025
Manchester City spent £450,000 to sign 14-year-old William Stanley Jones, who had excelled at Burnley's academy.
The Stats Room has learned from an informed source that Jones is, "a big, strong kid, with great skill and composure." The era of Spanish coach Pep Guardiola has seen the rise of a number of bright stars, but none has had a greater impact than Phil Foden, who has proven himself as a key player under Guardiola. Foden, 25, has scored 100 goals and provided 61 assists in 320 appearances since making his Manchester City debut in 2016.
Foden has also won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups, and the 2023 Champions League. The England international was also named the 2024 Premier League Player of the Year.
Young players such as Rico Lewis and Oscar Pope have also broken into the Manchester first team under Guardiola.
James McAtee also enjoyed a highly successful two-year loan spell at Sheffield United before his £30 million move to Nottingham Forest last summer. Cole Palmer is no different, as he appeared to be following in the footsteps of Phil Foden at Manchester City, quickly becoming one of the Premier League's biggest stars after his £42.5 million move to Chelsea in 2023. Palmer scored 43 goals and provided 29 assists in 98 appearances, and also won the Conference League and Club World Cup with Chelsea.
