Manchester City secure another signing from West Ham United, confirms Fabrizio Romano

Premier League champions Manchester City have continued their youth recruitment drive by raiding West Ham United once more this summer, according to reports.

It is the latest in a long line of Manchester City recruitments made from the London club over the last few years, with all of the likes of Jamal Baptiste, Divine Mukasa, and Divin Mubama making the move north.

Baptiste made the move to Manchester City in September 2023, before being loaned out on the same day to City Football Group sister club Lommel for half a season until the end of the same calendar year.

However, without playing for the club, Jamal Baptiste was then released at the end of the 2023/24 season, and has most recently appeared on a trial for Football League side Portsmouth in a friendly at Gosport Borough.

Divin Mubama has become a focal point of recruitment from West Ham this summer, but the striker is being followed through the arrivals door at the City Football Academy by another talent.

According to the information of transfer market insider Fabrizio Romano, Manchester City have now completed a deal to sign Xavier Parker from West Ham United for their Academy system.

It is further emphasised that the ‘highly-rated talent’ will be a new Manchester City player for the future, after it was first reported in July that the Etihad club were confident of getting an agreement across the line to beat many English top clubs to the signing.

One of the best success stories from West Ham into Manchester City’s development system is likely to be Josh Wilson-Esbrand, who made the move in 2019 before making his senior first-team debut at the Etihad Stadium just two years later.

After a succession of loan moves away from Pep Guardiola’s first-team squad, Wilson-Esbrand has remained with the group for the 2024/25 season and has also been named in Manchester City’s UEFA Champions League squad for the League Phase of the competition.

Nathan Ake’s muscle injury sustained during the most-recent international break may now open up a door for Wilson-Esbrand to feature in matchday squads for Manchester City, supporting first-choice left-back option Josko Gvardiol.