City add young keeper

Manchester City have beaten off competition from ’70 percent’ of Premier League clubs to sign 15-year-old goalkeeper Loris Karius.

The Germany Under-16 starlet will leave Stuttgart on July 1 to move to the City of Manchester Stadium as part of the club’s Under-18 side.

>>setanta.com

It is a move which has not impressed Stuttgart, who are clearly unhappy at the move, specifically the sums of money involved - an accusation often levelled at Premier League clubs in similar scenarios previously:

"There was an exorbitant amount of money involved," Stuttgart's youth coordinator Thomas Allbeck revealed.

"On the one hand we cannot afford this and we are also unwilling to keep up with this.

"That amount of money was well out of proportion.

"All the sporting and educational aspects will not matter when a young player has got it made financially in just a few years time."

I don't know anything about him to be honest but he clearly appears to be a highly rated prospect, and judging by his father's comments we faced stiff competition to be able to sign him:

“Manchester City first contacted us after they had attended the German Under-16 side’s game against Macedonia in September 2008.

“We were invited to see the youth and first-team set-ups, the stadium and the area, and they held discussions with his agent.

“We had many offers from England and Germany – 70 percent of Premier League sides wanted Loris.”