• Matty Warhurst leaves Manchester City for Northampton Town.

• The teenager moves into League Two for a reported six-figure transfer fee.

• Hugo Viana and City have ensured they remain financially interested in the youngster’s future with a beneficial clause included in the deal.

Manchester City academy sensation Matty Warhurst has signed for League Two outfit Northampton Town on a permanent basis.

The 19-year-old leaves the City Football Academy after seven years in sky blue following on from his initial acquisition from Oldham Athletic in 2019, and his subsequent transition into Manchester City’s academy setup.

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Warhurst joins a list of ambitious young players who have permanently left City’s Elite Development Squad (EDS) in search of first-team status, noting recent departures for Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, Reigan Heskey and Isaac Smith to clubs across Europe.

It is believed that Warhurst’s desire for first-team action could be quenched with the Cobblers, as the League Two side look to strengthen their attacking options ahead of another gruelling football league season.

City add sell-on clause as Warhurst completes six-figure switch

Reports from the Manchester Evening News suggest that a fee in the region of £100,000 was agreed in pursuit of the young striker, who leaves in search of added experience in a first-team environment.

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As is standard Manchester City practice, the board have sought out a ‘high sell-on clause’ into Warhurst’s newly-signed Northampton contract, securing a large amount of any future transfer fee should the teenager move in future.

It is believed that the Cobblers were the winners of a contested battle to secure the signature of City’s valuable young asset, with Swindon Town and Stockport County having risen to contention in the race for his services in recent months.

Upon signing for Northampton, Warhurst admitted it was time to leave City’s system and continue his development under higher pressure circumstances in a professional sphere, stating, “At the end of last season we reviewed it and thought my next step was into first team football. I want to be here and show the club and fans I am committed.”

Warhurst’s City DNA can set League Two alight

With Matty Warhurst walking through the door at Northampton Town with a price tag which is a gamble for any League Two outfit, the Manchester City product has a lot to prove to his new fans.

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The teenager is the son of another City academy product, Paul Warhurst, who made the opposite switch to that of his son, leaving City’s academy for Oldham in the summer of 1988, and went on to win a Premier League medal with Blackburn Rovers in 1995.

An immaculate 61 goals out of 97 competitive matches across his City academy career is enough of an audition for why Warhurst can impart his magic on the pitches of League Two, with his footballing blood following a common theme in this next generation of footballers.

The transfer looks to be fruitful for both parties, as an inevitable goalscorer at youth level in Warhurst looks to make his mark in the English football ranks.