Gary Neville has likened Swansea City target James McAtee to Premier League and Manchester City legend David Silva after his top-flight debut for Manchester City.
The teenage midfielder was handed his Premier League bow against Everton on Sunday by manager Pep Guardiola.
Many were left impressed with McActee's appearance off the bench in City's 3-0 win, including Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville.
Neville said of McAtee and fellow City youngster Cole Palmer: "It’s not an academy, it’s a cloning system. They’re like clones, they’re all the same. It’s almost like David Silva’s left them all behind!"
The 19-year-old from Salford is understood to be on Swansea's radar as they look ahead to recruitment in January, and his latest performance will only have caught the eye further.
However, the SA1 outfit are not the only club interested, with Manchester United also said to be admirers.
But before thinking about letting McAtee go out on loan to gain valuable first-team experience, Manchester City will want to secure a contract extension. The youngster has just 18 months remaining on his current deal.
Guardiola is known for giving academy products a chance in the first team, also starting 19-year-old attacking midfielder Cole Palmer in his first top-flight start. It is Palmer who McAtee replaced in the closing stages.
Guardiola said post-match: "It is an incredible investment for the club and the future. Very pleased and with the few minutes James McAtee played as well."
The youngster has enjoyed a great start to life at the club's academy. In the Premier League 2, he has now scored 10 goals, which is already three more than last season. In September, he made his senior club appearance in a 6-1 win over Wycombe Wanderers in the Carabao Cup.
While a loan deal during the January transfer window cannot be ruled out, it may well be that Manchester City opt to keep hold of the talent at the Etihad so he can train with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne every day, similar to what the club did with Phil Foden.
Silva won four Premier League titles during his ten-year spell at City, before departing in 2020 to link up with Real Sociedad.
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