Manchester City have signed England Under 16 captain Harrison Miles, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.
Writing on his X account, Romano said a “long team deal [was] sealed” after the Premier League’s lengthy ratification process was concluded:
🔵✨ Manchester City have completed the signing of England U16 captain Harrison Miles from Southampton.
Long term deal sealed following conclusion of PL’s 5-step process. pic.twitter.com/svsfpkzd8J
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 27, 2024
Miles’ contract at Southampton had expired at the end of last season and City managed to win the race for the player’s signature.
City beat several other Premier League teams to sign the player
It was reported by another reliable journalist, The Athletic‘s David Ornstein, that Arsenal and a number of other English top-flight clubs were pursuing Miles.
However, it was clear from a very early stage that the 16-year-old had made City his preferred destination. It has simply taken a while for the paperwork to be ratifed, and he will now become part of the Manchester club’s youth team setup.
What do fans need to know about Miles?
The midfielder played twice for Southampton’s Under 21s in Premier League 2 last season despite his young age. He also played 14 times in the Under 18 Premier League and once in the FA Youth Cup.
At international level, Miles has been captaining the Under 16s since the beginning of this year. He has made appearances in 6 friendlies and he even got on the scoresheet during a 4-0 win over Sweden back in February.
Of course, it is always difficult to tell whether young players will make the step up to senior football, but there is no doubt that Miles has a lot of potential. He is likely to feature for City in the FA Youth Cup and, potentially, the UEFA Youth League this campaign.
Find out who is in Manchester City’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here
