Dutch club FC Utrecht have confirmed 16-year-old goalkeeper Mikki van Sas will join Manchester City following links to Manchester United and Barcelona.
It was outlined by Diario Sport that the Blaugrana were keen on integrating the Dutch shot-stopper into their youth ranks with his compatriot Patrick Kluivert said to be putting his weight behind a possible move.
Former striker Kluivert is a prominent figure at the Camp Nou and is said to have put a lot of effort into convincing van Sas – who was also linked to Old Trafford – to join the club, but they have lost out to the English champions.
Van Sas was under contract at the Eredivisie club through to the summer of 2022 but a deal has been struck for the Netherlands Under-16 international, who is said to be one of Europe’s highest rated young goalkeepers.
“We say goodbye to Mikki with mixed feelings. On the one hand, we regret that Mikki, an incredibly talented goalkeeper, leaves our academy. We would of course have liked to see Mikki shine in the Galgenwaard Stadium, which is what we train for,” the club’s technical director Jordy Zuidam told Utrecht club site, as cited by the Manchester Evening News.
“On the other hand, Mikki said that he really wanted to make this move and we also see his transfer to Manchester City as a compliment to our youth academy. This transition confirms the elevated level of the academy. We have reached an agreement with Manchester City on the transfer terms and all parties are satisfied. We wish Mikki every success in England.”
Van Sas is expected to link up with City’s Under-18 side next season.
