Man City promote three academy players to first-team squad as Maresca reshapes his roster

Manchester City have confirmed that three academy players — Ryan McAidoo, Kaden Braithwaite and 17-year-old Floyd Samba — will train regularly with the first team under Enzo Maresca this season. The trio earned their promotions after catching the eye during pre-season, and their additions form part of Maresca’s plan to build a competitive senior group across all four competitions.

Maresca had already indicated publicly that McAidoo was better served staying with the senior side rather than going out on loan. Braithwaite’s place in the first-team environment was confirmed following a strong showing on the club’s summer tour to Asia, while Samba — a central midfielder who scored in City’s FA Youth Cup final victory over Manchester United in May — completes the group.

A fourth player, Jeremy Monga, could also feature in those plans. The 17-year-old arrived from Leicester this summer in a deal worth £10 million and may yet be folded into the senior setup as Maresca looks to reach his preferred squad size of between 20 and 22 outfield players.

Reaching that number will require further business before the transfer window closes. The departures of Rodri, Tijjani Reijnders and Savinho in recent days have thinned the ranks, and City currently count 20 outfield players — a figure that is likely to shrink further. Omar Marmoush, Jack Grealish, Rico Lewis and Claudio Echeverri are all names that could depart on loan or permanently before the deadline.

Maresca, speaking about his squad’s adaptation to his methods, acknowledged the challenge of a managerial change mid-cycle. “For them it is not easy. When you work with the same person every day then change, it changes everything,” he said. “I’m saying it’s a contest. It’s not an excuse but it requires a little bit of time, but we need to compete as soon as possible.”

The promotion of academy talent reflects both the squad’s current state of flux and Maresca’s willingness to trust younger players with meaningful roles as City navigate a busy and transitional window.