MANCHESTER CITY TO SEND YOUNG PLAYERS TO DEVELOP MLS FRANCHISE IN USA

Manchester City are planning to send young players to develop at their Major League Soccer franchise in the USA.

Manchester City to send young players to develop MLS franchise in USA

New York City FC, who signed England midfielder Frank Lampard from Chelsea in July, are owned by Man City and baseball giants New York Yankees.

"We have some bright players. We might ask them to come to New York before they play at Manchester," City chief executive Ferran Soriano told ESPN.

"This is a team that's going to play beautiful soccer in New York."

The former Barcelona vice-president added: "We are building a truly authentic New York team. This is not a Manchester City team, or a brand play or a marketing trick. This is real."

New York City's capture of Lampard and Spain international David Villa were regarded as a coup for the club, who will start life in next season's MLS in March 2015.

Soriano added that both players were attracted by the club's vision for the future.

"One of reasons David Villa and Frank Lampard decided to come to New York is because they know who manages and who owns the club," he said.

Man City, who have signed right-back Bacary Sagna from Arsenal and Porto midfielder Fernando this summer, have also been linked with Eliaquim Mangala, who featured in a video inadvertently released on the club's website which claimed the Porto defender had already signed.

"We knew one year ago the positions we wanted to reinforce in the team and we did it, " said Soriano. "We have a new right-back, a new holding midfielder, and we will have a new central defender and that's it. We don't need to sign new players for the sake of it."

City won the Premier League and League Cup last season but Soriano believes the club can have a more successful campaign this time around.

"Our squad is very strong and it's the second year they play coached by Manuel Pellegrini, so they'll do much better," he said.