Manchester City are set to secure the signature of England Under-17 captain Freddie Lawrie.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that the defender has “successfully passed” his medical ahead of completing his switch from Aston Villa.

Lawrie has reportedly signed a long-term contract with the Cityzens, having spent the best part of two years with the Villans.

The 16-year-old will link up with City’s academy setup at the Etihad Campus ahead of next season with several other new recruits.

What do fans need to know about Lawrie?

The teenager is a centre-back by trade but he has also been deployed as a holding midfielder on the odd occasion.

Lawrie came through the ranks at EFL side Port Vale prior to joining Villa in September 2023. Last year, he made his debut for England at Under-16 level, getting nine caps before moving up to the Under-17s this summer.

For his club, the defender made his first appearance for Villa in the Under 18 Premier League last campaign, starting the 3-0 home defeat against Arsenal back in May.

Man City have been busy signing new academy players

In addition to Lawrie, Pep Guardiola’s side are expected to snap up Dexter Oliver from Tottenham. The attacking midfielder (who is also 16) is likely to officially complete his move before the weekend.

A move for Paris Saint-Germain’s Mahamadou Sangare has already been wrapped up, while talks are progressing for other young prospects, such as Chelsea’s Jeremiah Adesina, Newcastle’s Ethan Fullen, Liverpool’s Kaylum Moss, as well as Sheffield Wednesday pair Caelan-Kole Cadamarteri and Romario Collins.

City are keen to secure the very best young talent in the country, and they have certainly been busy on that front over the past couple of months.

In other news, a Real Madrid star (who is a target for Liverpool and Arsenal) has reportedly been contacted by Pep Guardiola