England defender invited on Manchester City visit ahead of possible 2024 transfer

Manchester City have made their first moves in attempting to win over New York City and England under-16 defender Christian McFarlane, according to new information.

Given the connections between the English giants and Major League Soccer spearheads, links involving players of both sides moving between the clubs should come as no surprise to anyone.

Both Manchester City and New York City FC are part of the City Football Group – the parent company behind the former, and major investors in over 10 clubs across the globe, which most recently saw the acquisition of their first Brazilian side in EC Bahia.

As we approach a decade since the business was launched and work on establishing their global network began, a new piece of information would prove that it is now beginning to hand Manchester City in particular the necessary leverage when attempting to secure talents from within the City Football Group umbrella.

According to The Secret Scout, Manchester City invited New York City and England youth international Christian McFarlane to their training ground earlier this month.

While the player would not be able to complete any move to the home of the reigning Premier League champions until 2024 due to his age, it is reported that a move across the Atlantic Ocean was discussed as part of his trip to the City Football Academy.

Recent reports have suggested that Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund had both been rejected in their pursuits of the teenage defender, offering City plenty of encouragement.

Elsewhere, Manchester City are also claimed to be set to ‘check on the status’ of Preston North End’s 16-year-old attacking talent, Felipe Rodriguez-Gentile.

However, much like any other pursuit of highly-acclaimed youth talent, it is highlighted that all of Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea’s scouts have already been following the development of the teenager.