Over the last few seasons, Manchester City have had a significant amount of talent leave the academy. The looks to be continuing again this summer, with Shea Charles joining Southampton and James Trafford sealing a move to Burnley. The latest City EDS product to leave is Carlos Borges, who will join West Ham United, per Fabrizio Romano.
The fee for the young winger will be £14M, including a buyback clause, a typical transfer detail for most City prospects leaving the club.
Carlos Borges won Premier League 2 Player of the Season for 22/23. He netted 21 goals and added 11 assists in 24 matches. He is also a two-time Premier League 2 champion with Manchester City. Borges is a Portugal U19 international but remains eligible for Guinea-Bissau. Of the current crop of Manchester City academy players, Borges is arguably the biggest talent. While it begs the question of why he isn’t making it into the first team, the competition at City is simply just too high.
Despite having zero professional minutes, Borges will come into West Ham United with high expectations. The talented forward will be looking to be a competitive option to Said Benrahma on the right wing. The biggest strengths of Borges’s game are his dribbling and pace. Despite being a winger, he often is able to make cut-in runs to the middle of the pitch to throw off the defenders. He also has a knack for great positioning in the penalty box, making his way into the area in open space.
While it would’ve been a treat to see Borges perform in a Pep Guardiola side, the deal makes sense for City. They get yet another substantial fee for an academy player and have the chance to bring the player back on likely a modest buyback clause. Just look to Romeo Lavia at Southampton, who is now valued at £50M, with City having a £40M buyback clause for next summer.
