Manchester City have completed the signing of highly-rated 16-year-old goalkeeper Mikki van Sas from Utrecht.
The Dutch outfit had high hopes for the youngster, with his previous contract with the club running until 2022, but he has opted to make the move to England where he will join City’s ever-growing academy.
In recent years the reigning Premier League champions have stepped up their youth recruitment, attracting young players like Adrian Bernabe from Barcelona’s La Masia academy.
For Utrecht, they would have preferred the youngster continue to grow and eventually make a first-team debut, but the understanding is that the lure of City was simply too much for the player.
“We say goodbye to Mikki with mixed feelings,” club technical director Jordy Zuidam told the official Utrecht website.
“On the one hand, we regret that Mikki, an incredibly talented goalkeeper, leaves our academy. We would of course have liked to see Mikki shine in the Galgenwaard Stadium, which is what we train for.
“On the other hand, Mikki said that he really wanted to make this move and we also see his transfer to Manchester City as a compliment to our youth academy. This transition confirms the elevated level of the academy.
“We have reached an agreement with Manchester City on the transfer terms and all parties are satisfied. We wish Mikki every success in England.”
The Man City senior team return to competitive action in just over a week when they take on Arsenal as the Premier League recommences. Should they lose, they will give Liverpool the opportunity to win the title in the Merseyside derby.
