Manchester City have an academy graduate who has impressed Pep Guardiola more than Divine Mukasa.
The 18-year-old has been capturing the attention of many at the Manchester club over recent months, which resulted in Man City fans being excited when Mukasa was included in the squad for a pre-season match against Palermo.
Mukasa has stated that his style is similar to Kevin De Bruyne, which may be a reason why fans are excited to see how the midfielder develops, but there is another Man City academy graduate who has impressed Guardiola more over the last 18 months.
Both played in the Manchester club’s 2-0 win over Huddersfield on Wednesday night, and it is fair to say that the duo impressed at the Accu Stadium.
Nico O’Reilly has impressed Guardiola more than Divine Mukasa
Man City were comfortable 2-0 winners over Huddersfield on Wednesday night, with Phil Foden stealing the show with a goal and an assist, while Divine Mukasa was one of several stars who impressed against the League One club.
The 18-year-old assisted the opening goal of the night for Foden, and his display is expected to see him get further opportunities down the line.
According to the Daily Mail, only Nico O’Reilly has impressed Guardiola more than Mukasa over the last 18 months or so, with sources insisting that his technical ability in small spaces and physicality should see him go far.
The future looks bright for Mukasa, but Man City fans will need to be patient with the 18-year-old, as it will take time for him to develop into a regular Premier League player, while there is also strong competition in his position.
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Divine Mukasa can be inspired by Nico O’Reilly
For most youngsters, breaking into the starting XI comes down to luck, as they often step up when one of the more senior players picks up an injury or is going through a tough run of form.
This is what happened to O’Reilly last season as the Man City youngster stole the show in an FA Cup clash with Bournemouth, a contest in which the midfielder came on and changed the game from left-back.
O’Reilly would feature regularly in Guardiola’s starting XI after this and remains a key part of the legendary coach’s plans for the current campaign.
This is a path Mukasa will be keen to follow, and the 18-year-old should be ready to pounce on the opportunity when it arrives at some point over the coming months.
