Another Manchester City youngster has left the club for Germany; this time it’s Rabbi Matondo. The 18-year-old Welsh international has left for Schalke 04 in search of first-team opportunities. City will receive an £11 million fee for the player, with a likely buy-back clause of £30 million. City will also receive 25% of any future fee for the player, according to Sam Wallace of the Telegraph.
Manchester City Youngster Rabbi Matondo Moves to Schalke
Rabbi Matondo is not the first to leave City for first-team opportunities and he certainly won’t be the last. When Pep Guardiola was asked about Matondo he talked about how this was another sign that the Manchester City Academy was working well, and he couldn’t be more correct
Over the last three seasons, City has made over £150 million in sales of youth products. Players like Jadon Sancho, Kelechi Iheanacho, Pablo Maffeo and Enes Unal, among others. Now Matondo is the next name on that list and he hopes the move to Germany will make it a distinguished one.
Germany has really become the hotspot for young talent to shine. Everyone has seen what Jadon Sancho has done at Borussia Dortmund but it’s not just him. Players like Ousmane Dembele, Timo Werner, Christian Pulisic, Kai Havertz and Leon Bailey, amongst many others, have really shown out in the last 18 months.
Young players need game time and in-game opportunities to grow into the talents we think they are. By moving to Schalke, Matonodo is hoping that is exactly the case. The Welsh winger is quick, decisive and really good in one-on-one situations. His development could really accelerate in a league as open as the Bundesliga.
In the end that will be the best for City. Having an academy with a track record of success is very important, no matter where the success is. It creates a stash of players that could be brought back to the Etihad if things go well, even if there isn’t a reported buy-back clause.
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