Fabrizio Romano has reported that West Ham United have agreed a deal for Manchester City’s Carlos Borges. Romano claims that the East London club will pay £14 million for the 19-year-old prospect and that the deal will include a buyback clause for Pep Guardiola’s side.
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West Ham United Agree £14 million Transfer for Manchester City’s Carlos Borges
Who is Hot Prospect Carlos Borges?
Born in 2004, the winger has played for City’s academy side since leaving Sporting CP’s youth system in 2015. Borges was the top goalscorer in the top division of the Premier League 2, England’s top U21 league, bagging 21 goals and supplying 10 assists in the Cityzen’s third successive PL2 title winning-season.
The Portuguese youngster plays on the left wing and has demonstrated a mixture of pace and technicality, which should translate well to the senior level. He attacks the defence directly, opting to keep opposition players on the back foot, and uses his exceptional pace and ball control to open up scoring opportunities.
Is Carlos Borges Ready for the Premier League?
Despite the excitement surrounding the young player, he has a notable lack of senior experience.
Whilst Borges has dominated youth levels, Pep Guardiola opted not to call him up for cup competitions: during his time at Manchester City, he did not make a single appearance for the club, with Cole Palmer and other youngsters favoured.
However, this may have been a result of the strength in depth out wide at the club. Even when starboy Phil Foden was healthy for the side, he faced fierce competition from regular starter Jack Grealish for a place in Guardiola’s starting lineup. The young Portuguese winger’s lack of playing time was unlikely to be a slight against his ability, but a recognition of the need to keep senior bench players match fit.
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Frankly, it’s hard to predict what impact Borges may have at West Ham. It’s likely that manager David Moyes will ease the player into the side. Following Declan Rice’s move to Arsenal, the Hammers will be looking to rebuild their squad and tactical identity, and fans of the club will be eager to see more deals to strengthen the side following their Europa Conference League victory in 2022/23.
If Borges adapts well to the Premier League, the 19-year-old winger could be a cornerstone of the new project under Moyes. With Bowen secure on the right of the pitch, the future of the striker and left-wing positions are uncertain at the club, and the youngster will seek to leave an impression on his manager early to claim his spot.
Main image credit: Bex Walton, CC BY-2.0.
