Manchester
City defender Tosin Adarabioyo is backing the club's academy stars to save Pep
Guardiola millions in the transfer market. City's
issues at the back have been well-documented with Saturday's capitulation
against Leicester City the latest in a string of poor defensive showings.
And with one
clean sheet in their last 17 matches, there have been strong rumours that
Guardiola will dip into the transfer market to bring in defenders in January.
However City
youngster Adarabioyo, who played the full 90 minutes against Celtic in the
Champions League on Tuesday night, thinks he and his fellow academy stars could
be the answer for Guardiola.
Speaking to
The Sunday Mirror about how he and fellow young defender Pablo Maffeo started
vs Celtic, Adarabioyo said: "It was a very big night for me, and the
target now is to be involved in as many matches as possible. Everybody
knows the importance the club have placed on producing their own players and
when the other lads see myself and Pablo [Maffeo] playing in the Champions
League it gives them belief."
City are
prepared to back their manager with cash in the transfer window should he want
to bring in further reinforcements, it is understood, but Adarabioyo thinks the
answer could be much closer to home.
And the
19-year-old thinks there are more academy products set to make an impact for
City's first team this season, with Brahim Diaz, Angelino and Phil Foden also
involved in Guardiola squads this season.
"I know
from being inside the academy that every single player in the system is very,
very talented. They know that if they keep working hard then, if they are good
enough, they will get an opportunity," said Adarabioyo.
"We
have a lot of local youth team players who have the potential to come through
into the first team. The players I played with in the academy are the ones
coming through now. It's
what the club want - but the key thing is that you have to be good
enough."
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