Manchester City and Manchester United are both miles off it in the Premier League title race. And both will wince for different reasons when Liverpool lift their 20th title and second in the Premier League era. However there is still one title race this season between the two clubs full of grit, talent and plenty of twists and turns. It's the headline battle this season of a wider war for Manchester's best young prospects, featuring 'revenge' transfers, snippy comments and plenty of money at stake. United have an incredible record of producing academy graduates in consecutive matchday squads and bringing local lads through to their first team. City have always had their academy roots in Manchester, Platt Lane to be precise, and the £200m City Football Academy has not just produced plenty of first team players but generated millions more in revenue. In the era of Financial Fair Play, snapping up the best players as young as they can at soccer schools and camps in the hope they become the next Phil Foden, Kobbie Mainoo or Cole Palmer is imperative. In order to do that, clubs cast their nets wide hoping one of the hundreds of boys coming along can be convinced to join the academy and then develop through the system to the first team. Inevitably, almost all don't make it. That's the part you rarely hear about - but once the players get to a certain age there is a degree of competition between the clubs. Ask most academy lads at the CFA or Carrington and they will tell you they attended the other club for a time before settling on their current home. City defender Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, a first team debutant this season, told MEN Sport last year that he was first at United before picking City because their sessions for young players were more structured. "I was in between teams. Everton, United, City and I was at City and I didn’t like it at the start," he admitted. "I went to United and I liked it at United because all they did was play mini games and it wasn’t really like proper training. "But my mum got advice from those who have been in football and asked what would benefit me more and they said to go to City because they did proper training sessions to help the player technically and individually. So I ended up signing for City a year after joining." He's not the only one to report a similar decision process. Nico O'Reilly, the current poster boy of the CFA said: “The first team that scouted me was actually United and then City came in for me as well as Liverpool and Everton. “Before you sign a contract you train with all the teams so I was doing that for a bit. I had a choice when I was Under-8s and Under-9s out of City and United. I chose City because the training was a lot better.” That isn't unusual, and there will be plenty of families who chose United for their sons because they felt that pathway was better. Mainoo is one who trained with both clubs as a child before settling on United and breaking into the first team - scoring against City in last season's FA Cup final. Palmer is a United fan who came through at City, so there is plenty of movement between the sides. Some make the switch later in their teens - Charlie McNeill was scoring goals for fun for City before moving to United in 2020. Reece Devine switched from City to United in 2018 while Jack and Tyler Fletcher left City in 2023 after nine years to join United when father Darren was technical director. Harrison Parker moved to City shortly afterwards in another cross-city switch between academies - with the Manchester Evening News reporting at the time that United sources felt it was a 'revenge' transfer following United's swoop of the Fletcher twins. They won't be the last to swap blue for red or vice versa, especially with more focus on 'pure profit' transfers under PSR rules for academy-grown players: get them on board young and there is money to be made down the line. The two sides will regularly try and attract the same young talents and the competition is always fierce in academy derbies. Carlos Borges imitated Cristiano Ronaldo's 'Siu' celebrations when City demolished United at Leigh Sports Village in 2022, while United were victorious in last season's under-18 Premier League Cup final at the same venue on their way to a brilliant under-18 league title to end City's four year hold on the division. There were hopes this year of an FA Youth Cup final at Old Trafford between the two sides but United lost on penalties to Aston Villa this week. If City can beat Watford next Thursday, they head to Villa Park to defend their crown. And it isn't just academy level where United and City are in competition. Former City Academy Director Jason Wilcox left the Etihad two years ago for Southampton only to then be quickly snapped up by former boss Omar Berrada who is now United's CEO. Berrada is said to have encouraged the kind of sell-on clauses and buy-back options when it comes to making money from United academy players that City have done so successfully. If United make a move for Liam Delap for example, as is being reported, City will pocket 20 per cent of whatever they pay. Just like they did when United forked out £73m for Jadon Sancho. A blue-tinted look at United would suggest that they have taken City's top directors instead to replicate what has been so successful in East Manchester. A red-tinted view is that United have always run a successful academy and now have the ingredients to return to previous heights. For all the rivalry and sniping, there are two brilliant sets of youngsters coming through in Manchester. It is a testament to both clubs that they are both fighting for national titles and cups - three of the last five Youth Cups have been won by the two bitter rivals, while the England squad and youth teams are filled with representatives from City and United. Sunday's first team derby may not have the pressure of a title race or recent FA Cup finals. Yet the youth teams and fierce battle behind the scenes shows the rivalry is alive and kicking below the surface - on the field and in the boardroom.