Manchester City don't appear to see eye to eye with their youngsters and their tendency to cast off promising talent on a regular basis is somewhat alarming.
Following the departures of highly-rated academy prospects Jadon Sancho, Brahím Diaz and Rabbi Matondo in recent years, City now look set to lose yet another in Jayden Braaf.
Braaf's story is strikingly similar to the Sancho saga of two and a half years ago, which saw the Englishman leave the Etihad for Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund.
It's very much a case of deja-vu. The 17-year-old has grown frustrated by his lack of first-team opportunities and appears set to leave. Doesn't that sound familiar, eh?
And having seen the trajectory of Sancho, there's no wonder why Braaf may assume the grass is greener elsewhere. Sancho's departure has only seen his stock rise and supporters across the world have taken great joy in watching him,
The flying forward has 24 goals in just 63 games for Dortmund and his stellar displays have led to him receiving international recognition.
Sancho has been capped 11 times by England, scoring two goals, and is certain to be part of Gareth Southgate's squad for the upcoming European Championship in the summer, barring any unfortunate injury.
All in all, the boy's done well since parting ways with City, but surely they've learnt their lesson? Surely they're not about to let another one slip through the net? Well, apparently so, and unfortunately i
Having initially opted for City over Chelsea due to an assurance of first-team opportunities, Braaf has become fed up with his situation at the club, and the fact that teams are already circling around him is an ominous sign for Guardiola and co.
Unsurprisingly, it is yet again clubs from the Bundesliga who are primed and ready to poach another talented teenager from English football. Scouts from RB Leipzig were thought to have watched the flying Dutchman in City's 2-1 FA Youth Cup victory over Aston Villa earlier this month.
He had a hand in both goals against the Midlanders and prior to that game he scored the only goal as City's Under-23 side beat Liverpool at the start of January.
His pace and trickery have clearly made clubs sit up and take note, but perhaps most glaringly, his current employers appear blind to the up and coming talent.
But why is it that City's youth continues to be so overlooked? Why is it that they have invested millions into their academy yet have very little to show for it?
In Braaf's case, it's not to do with a lack of quality. The teenager has starred for City's youth sides, scoring six goals and laying on two assists in the Premier League 2 this campaign. Braaf was also vital in the Netherlands reaching the last four of the Under-17 World Cup in November.
Perhaps age is a factor? That could be argued, sure. But then you see Barcelona and their handling of Ansu Fati, who had made his debut in both La Liga and the Champions League before his 17th birthday, and you start to see things differently.
Closer to home, you look to Liverpool and the way they are nurturing 16-year-old Harvey Elliott, who has linked up with the first-team squad since his arrival from Fulham last summer.
No doubt Braaf would also have noticed that his compatriot Ki-Jana Hoever was involved for the Reds in their fourth-round FA Cup tie against Shrewsbury on Sunday.
True, Hoever only made the bench for the cup encounter, but even so, it would have been an invaluable experience for the 18-year-old who appears to be knocking on the door of the first team.
Unfortunately the same can't be said for Braaf. Despite the fact City were also facing lower league opposition in Championship side Fulham, the teenager wasn't called upon.
It could have been the perfect opportunity for Pep to integrate the Dutch youth international into the first-team set-up but instead he opted for the experience of Raheem Sterling on City's bench.
So is it the manager? Well, no. During his time at Barcelona, Pep was the purveyor of youth.
Having earned his managerial spurs with Barcelona B, he promoted no fewer than eight players to the senior team during his first season in charge at Camp Nou.
A certain Sergio Busquets was among those given the chance to shine, as was Thiago, two midfielders who have gone on to the very top of the game. At the time Busquets was 20 years old yet Pep showed his faith in the combative midfielder who went on to make 25 appearances in that season.
Yet at City, Pep seems reluctant to replicate the faith he showed in Barca's academy graduates. But that negligence will come at a cost.
Sancho has already shown how pricey overlooking young talent can be, with some measuring his worth to be £120m, a sizeable jump from the £8m City received from Dortmund.
Source : 90min