"Tens of millions" - Sunderland urged to resist Man City's Matty Young interest | OneFootball

Matty Young is emerging as one of the countries finest goalkeeping talents, should Sunderland do their utmost to keep the teen?

Manchester City are reportedly interested in Sunderland academy goalkeeper Matty Young, after an unbelievable start to his loan spell at Salford City.

Making his league debut just last month, a 2-0 shutout at home to Harrogate Town made the 18-year-old the fourth-youngest keeper to keep a clean sheet in League Two, after Joe Hart, Michael Jones, and John Ruddy.

Since then, the England U20 international has conceded just one goal in his first eight matches in the football league, collecting 18 saves along the way, and The Sun are reporting that the 2023/24 Premier League champions are keen.

Young's exploits could see his name added to the recent flurry of top-quality English goalkeeping talents, alongside James Beadle, Michael Cooper and Sunderland teammate Anthony Patterson.

While still too early to tell his true ceiling, with the Black Cats current number one rumoured for a Manchester move of his own, how crucial is it that Young's Wearside career doesn't end before it's begun?

Matty Young will have Premier League clubs "sniffing around while he's cheap"

In light of the speculation surrounding both keepers, FLW asked Sunderland fan pundit, Jack Austwicke, whether he thought Young is worth holding battling hard to keep as a potential long-term successor to Anthony Patterson.

He said: "He's a young lad doing very well at Salford. I think he's got seven clean sheets in eight, which is a really good return. Yeah, maybe (he could be a first-team player) in a few years if Patterson leaves.

"But I can't see Patterson going to a top, top club, because he just doesn't have the ability with his feet, which you need in the modern game. He's OK, don't get me wrong, but he really puts you on edge sometimes when the ball's at his feet. I can see him going to a half-decent club and us getting a good bit of money.

"I don't see why Young couldn't come up and be our keeper eventually, but obviously clubs are going to come sniffing around while he's young and while he's cheap because they see potential and wouldn't want to have to overpay in a few years.

"If we could keep hold of him, that would be great because it looks like it could be another situation in which a homegrown talent that we could sell for tens of millions in a few years. So yes, I'd like to see him stick around here."

Austwicke validates the preconception that Mackems are truly excited, if not realistic, about their newest shot-stopper.

Sunderland have yet another homegrown talent on their hands

Incredibly, the Academy of Light has unearthed yet another potentially international-class talent, following the likes of Chris Rigg and Tom Watson, among others.

While it wasn't too long ago that the club were the laughing stocks of the Football League, the continued success of Sunderland's youth intake has made them now among the glowing examples of how to run a modern-day football club.

Young's contract isn't due to run out until 2028, suggesting that there is no urgency to sell unless the price is objectively too good to turn down.

On an individual level, there is nothing to suggest that moving to Manchester City would be a sensible career choice for Young. Under Pep Guardiola, the title holders have awarded just two appearances to goalkeepers under the age of 23, both to current Ipswich goalkeeper Arijanet Muric in the early rounds of the 2018/19 League Cup.

That was a lesson that Burnley's James Trafford learned the hard way, failing to make a single appearance for the citizens despite his obvious promise.

Given the above, combined with the fact that City already have the promising Spike Brits, and to a lesser extent True Grant, in their youth ranks, it is apparent that Matty Young should do all he can to stay at the club that so effortlessly integrates young talent of late.