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When Morgan Rogers signed for Aston Villa from Middlesbrough last January, there were a few voices suggesting they might have been able to get a player on the cheap.
Nearly a year later, there is evidence to back this up. Villa remain upwardly mobile and Rogers, 22, is at the forefront of their progress.
His performance as Villa beat Manchester City last weekend stood out because he was once on City’s books. Another who has slipped through the champions’ net, they say. Some think this means City have been lax and have been caught sleeping on the job.
But that’s wrong. This is just a good academy at work.
Cole Palmer was definitely a mistake. There’s no point in debating that anymore. He left Manchester at the start of last season as a player with great potential. If he were still around, he would be Pep Guardiola’s most important player.
But the margins at elite level are fine and that is what City want their academy to produce. Not good players, but elite players, capable of winning a Treble and four Premier League titles on the spin. Can be part of a squad that can keep teams with players like Mohamed Salah at bay. Capable of following Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard in a title race and finishing at the top for two consecutive seasons.