Schalke are expected to complete a £12 million move for Manchester City’s latest teen sensation Rabbi Matondo.
Over the last couple of years, the Premier League champions have already lost big talents in Jadon Sancho and Brahim Diaz to Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid respectively.
With Matondo expected to follow the duo out of the club, the pathway from City’s stellar youth academy to the first team has come under scrutiny.
Both Sancho and Diaz were expected to eventually feature in the Citizens’ first team set-up alongside Phil Foden who has largely been limited to a series of cameos this season.
Would Matondo be considered in the same bracket though? Here, we take a closer look at the 18-year-old City may be set to lose.
BACKGROUND
Born on Merseyside, Matondo moved to South Wales as a child where he began his youth career with Cardiff City before he was snapped up by City who eventually agreed a compensation fee of £500,000.
Matondo has since impressed for the U23s and while eligible to play for DR Congo and England, he chose Wales. In November last year, Ryan Giggs handed him his senior debut when he came on for the final 12 minutes in a 1-0 defeat to Albania.
The closest he’s come to first team football at City is when he went on the pre-season tour last summer, though he never made an appearance.
PLAYING STYLE
The first thing that strikes you about Matondo is that he’s quick, seriously quick – so much so that he has the beating of Leroy Sane, Raheem Sterling and Kyle Walker. When every player at City took part in a 20-metre sprint test last year, Matondo made a big impression as he recorded the fastest time – 2.62 seconds.
It’s no surprise then that much of his game is about running past players at will. With a trick or two in his repertoire as well, he’s a handful for defenders and can tear right through a team.
He poses a significant threat in behind but needs to sharpen that aspect of his game as well as his instincts in front of goal. He does create plenty of chances though, more by means of cut-backs than traditional crosses from the touchline.
The diminutive Welshman does need to work on his upper body strength in order to compete at the highest level.
Rabbi Matondo has arrived in Germany to finalise his move to Schalke from City. [BILD] pic.twitter.com/XP8VlWv4Be
— City Watch (@City_Watch) January 28, 2019
WHY HE’S LEAVING
Like Sancho and Diaz, Matondo’s path to the first team is being blocked by Sterling and Sane while the likes of Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez are vying for playing time out wide as well.
It’s unlikely that the Welshman will be able to force his way into the first XI in the foreseeable future. Having already made his international debut, he needs to be playing regular senior football in order to make the Euros next year.
Meanwhile, City don’t rate him as highly as they did Sancho or Diaz. While a gifted player, Matondo is yet to show a level of sophistication or intelligence to his game that suggests he could be an elite talent.
Pep Guardiola is aware of his ability but has no intention to include him in his immediate plans for the future and a £12m transfer fee from Schalke would make for a tidy profit.
VERDICT
Matondo is clearly a raw talent who, with the right nurturing, can blossom into a top player. A large part of that process is playing first team football and whether people agree or not, City aren’t in a position to offer that to him.
There’s little to justify playing the youngster at this moment over the established stars in the first-team squad, especially when Guardiola’s style of play demands plenty of discipline and an tactical understanding.
