Aster Vranckx is a product of KV Mechelen's academy
According to a report from the Daily Mail, Manchester City are set to go head to head against rivals Liverpool in the pursuit of 17-year-old Belgian wonderkid Aster Vranckx.
Vranckx, 17, is a product of the KV Mechelen academy. The midfielder has been on the rise in the last couple of years. He broke into the club’s U-18 setup in 2018 before breaking into the first-team last year.
Vranckx made ten senior appearances for the Belgian outfit during the 2019/20 campaign and chipped in with a goal and two assists. The midfielder put in one of his finest displays against Belgian giants Anderlecht in February earlier this year, scoring and assisting one goal apiece, as Mechelen ran out 2-0 winners.
Manchester City have been below their best in 2019/20. While they won the Carabao Cup, the Cityzens have failed to defend their Premier League title. Guardiola’s side are 25 points behind leaders Liverpool.
Given their performances this season, Pep Guardiola should bring new faces into the side heading into the upcoming campaign. At the same time, the Cityzens should also have an eye on the future and continue to add to their youth ranks. Especially considering that the transfer market is set to be affected by the coronavirus crisis.
Manchester City have some of the finest young talents coming through their youth setup. The likes of Phil Foden, Eric Garcia, Adrian Bernabe, Lukas Nmecha are held in high regard and are the future of the club.
And adding someone like Vranckx, who is likely to cost £1.5m, would bode very well for the future of the Mancunian outfit. Despite just being 17 years of age, Vranckx has broken into the first-team and made a solid impression already. He has also broken into the Belgium U-19 team and has five caps for them.
Moreover, the fact that a number of bigwigs in Europe such as Bayern Munich and Liverpool are also keeping an eye on the youngster (h/t Daily Mail) should provide an inkling of the potential he possesses.
David Silva is set to leave the club once his contract expires and Fernandinho is not getting any younger. Hence, Manchester City need to prepare a supply-line of young players who can replace them at the first-team level.
And Vranckx, despite his age, has already shown immense promise at the first-team level. It’s true that he will not walk right into the first-team at Manchester City. However, by signing him, the Cityzens would have a talented individual, who in the coming years, can step up and replace some of the ageing stars in the current setup.
