Jeremie Frimpong has joined Liverpool and become the latest product of Manchester City's academy to have ended up with one of their Premier League rivals. The versatile 24-year-old full-back, who can also operate as a winger, seems to be Arne Slot's chosen replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold, who left his childhood club for Real Madrid on May 30 after nine years. Frimpong, a Dutch national, spent nine years in City's youth system before signing his first professional contract with Celtic in 2019. After two impressive seasons in the Scottish Premiership, Frimpong transferred to Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, where he scored 30 goals and provided 44 assists in 190 appearances, attracting the attention of Premier League champions Liverpool. As soon as the summer transfer window opened on June 1, Slot and the Anfield board moved swiftly to secure the services of the Netherlands international. Frimpong signed a five-year deal for £29.5million, leaving Manchester City potentially regretting their decision not to offer him a professional contract at the Etihad Stadium . It seems that City have a history of developing young talent before allowing them to further their careers elsewhere - with several academy graduates going on to play for Premier League competitors, while others have secured contracts with some of Europe's top clubs. Here, the MEN reflects on 11 players who could have been valuable assets to City, but instead signed for other teams - along with their current market value, as per Transfermarkt . Despite spending six years in City's youth system, James Trafford never had the opportunity to demonstrate his abilities under Pep Guardiola - instead, he had loan stints at Accrington Stanley and Bolton Wanderers , before being sold to Burnley in 2023 for £15m, reports the Mirror . To date, Trafford has spent two seasons at Turf Moor, keeping 31 clean sheets in 73 matches, and played a crucial role in the team's second-place finish in the EFL Championship this season. However, Burnley were close to clinching the league title. Level on 100 points with Leeds United , a superior goal difference saw the Peacocks secure first place for the 2024/25 season, although Burnley will still compete in the Premier League next season due to their position. However, Trafford's future at Turf Moor is uncertain, with Newcastle United reportedly interested in signing him as a replacement for Nick Pope, who is being tracked by Leeds. With a market value of £18.5m, the 22-year-old goalkeeper could be a fantastic acquisition for the Magpies. Liverpool have secured a bargain in signing Frimpong for £29.5m, given his current market value of £42m. In an interview with Liverpool's official website, the full-back said: "It went quite easy. "Liverpool came and said they had interest, and obviously for me it was a no-brainer. For me, it was like, 'Whatever you guys do, just get this done', [speaking to] my agents: 'Just get this done.' "Liverpool fans, I'm going to give my all, my energy, my work-rate and hopefully we can win together, we celebrate together, get everything together. I'm just excited to be here. Thank you guys for accepting me and I won't let you guys down and I'll give you the energy that you guys want." Frimpong arrives at Anfield with an impressive collection of trophies, including a Bundesliga title, a DFB-Pokal, and a DFL-Supercup, and many fans will be eager to see how he performs in the Premier League during the 2025/26 season. Tosin Adarabioyo , who spent 13 years with Manchester City after joining from Fletcher Moss Rangers in 2003, never made a single appearance for the Cityzens despite turning professional in 2016. Instead, the centre-back was loaned out to West Bromwich Albion and Fulham , with the latter becoming his permanent home in 2020. After four years at Craven Cottage, Adarabioyo caught the eye of Stamford Bridge's top brass, with Chelsea snapping up the 27-year-old on a free transfer last summer during Enzo Maresca's remarkable overhaul. With 37 appearances this season, Adarabioyo has certainly hit the ground running with the Blues, helping them secure a fourth-place finish in the Premier League. He also played a crucial role in Chelsea's 2024/25 Europa League victory, despite being benched for the team's 4-1 win over Real Betis in last Wednesday's final. With a current market value estimated at £16.8m, City may be regretting letting such a talent slip through their fingers. Spanish centre-back Eric Garcia first flourished at Barcelona's youth academy between 2008 and 2017 before moving to the Etihad. He spent another two years in player development before signing his first professional contract. Unlike many others on this list, however, Garcia did manage to secure playing time for Guardiola's first team, making 35 appearances for City and even earning a Premier League winners' medal in 2020/21. However, seemingly recognising their previous mistake, Barcelona re-signed Garcia in 2021 on a free transfer, securing him with a contract until the end of the 2025/26 season and a hefty £337m release clause. Since his return to sunny Spain, Garcia has helped secure two La Liga titles, a Copa del Rey, and two Supercopa de Espanas. At just 24, Garcia's current market value stands at approximately £12.6m, and it remains to be seen whether Barca will offer him a new contract before his current one expires, or if they will allow him to depart once again. After spending his early years with Luis Calvo Sanz and Deportivo La Coruna, Angelino moved to north west England in 2013 at the tender age of 16. He spent another two years in City's development sector before turning professional in 2015. Following loan spells with New York City FC, Girona, Mallorca and NAC Breda, Angelino transferred to PSV Eindhoven in 2018 for a modest £4.6m, without having made a single senior appearance at the Etihad. City, however, seemed to have made a significant error in letting the left-back move to the Eredivisie, as they exercised a buy-back clause and re-signed him after just one year at PSV for £5.3m. Despite high hopes, the 28-year-old managed only 15 appearances across all competitions before he was sold once more to RB Leipzig in 2021. After struggling to make an impact in the Bundesliga, Angelino made a move to Roma in 2024 for a reported £4.2m, where he has since shone. According to Transfermarkt, his current market value is £12.6m, and he is contracted to I Giallorossi until 2028. Defensive midfielder, Romeo Lavia , had a brief stint with City in his youth after spending most of his early years with Anderlecht, but failed to leave a lasting impression with the Premier League giants. Lavia didn't manage any Premier League appearances for the Cityzens, instead, he was relegated to playing for the U21 side between 2021 and 2022, before making a £10.5m move to Southampton . After clocking up 34 starts for the Saints in the 2022/23 Premier League season, Lavia managed to dodge the relegation that his club faced, as Chelsea swooped in with a £53m deal for the 21-year-old. In the years since, the Belgian has made just 19 appearances for the side, and his market value has dipped to £33.7m - although, he is under contract until 2030. Aleix Garcia joined City in the summer of 2015, before getting his first Premier League start under Manuel Pellegrini in September 2016, but failed to secure a regular spot in the talent-packed side. The midfielder made just nine appearances in total for the club, instead having loan spells with Girona and Mouscron before he was transferred to Dinamo Busceti in October 2020 on a free transfer. Another free transfer to Eibar followed in January 2021, before the 27-year-old penned a deal with Girona in July - spending three years with the club. By 2025, Garcia has become a mainstay of the Bayer Leverkusen team, and it will be intriguing to see how he adjusts under the new stewardship of Erik ten Hag when he takes over in July. Contracted until July 2029, Garcia's estimated market value stands at £16.8m. Born and raised in Wythenshawe , Cole Palmer spent a decade in Manchester City's youth ranks before making his first-team debut in 2020. However, the 23-year-old attacking midfielder found opportunities limited given the wealth of talent at the club. Palmer netted six goals and provided two assists in 41 appearances across all competitions, before sealing a move to Chelsea for a reported fee of £40m in 2023 - a club where he has since been unstoppable. With 40 goals and 27 assists in 91 outings for the Blues, Palmer is currently one of Chelsea's key players - and his estimated market value of £101m reflects the young star's immense talent. He has also shone on the international stage with England since his switch to west London, earning 11 caps and making an impact at Euro 2024 despite limited playing time under Gareth Southgate. The future certainly looks promising for the versatile star, who can also operate effectively on the wing. Michael Olise had the opportunity to gain invaluable experience at several of England's most esteemed academies during his youth, moving between Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Reading before making his breakthrough with the latter in 2019. After turning professional in 2019, Olise was promptly utilised by the Royals, scoring seven goals and providing 14 assists over two seasons before transferring to Crystal Palace for £8m. The 23-year-old held his own in the Premier League, enjoying three successful years at Selhurst Park before Bayern Munich came calling in 2024 with a £50.7m offer. With 50 appearances in the Bundesliga, Olise played a crucial role in Bayern's league title this season, while he has also earned six caps for the French national team. His current market value is estimated at around £67m, but as he is contracted until 2029, Munich may be reluctant to let the winger go anytime soon. Jadon Sancho joined Manchester City's youth ranks in 2015 after spending the majority of his early years with Watford. However, he never got an opportunity with the Cityzens due to the high calibre of talent they possessed when he turned professional in 2017. Without a single first-team appearance to his name, Sancho signed for Borussia Dortmund, going on to become a fan favourite at the Signal Iduna Park with a wealth of goals and assists. However, his career took a bit of a downturn when he returned to the north west of England to play for Manchester United in 2021. In 2025, Sancho has managed just 12 goals and six assists for the Red Devils thus far, and saw a half-year loan spell with Chelsea for the back end of this season - where he once again failed to find his footing with just five goals to his name. While the Blues see a £20m obligation to buy embedded into the winger's contract as part of his loan deal, they may instead choose to execute a £5m clause which will see him return to United instead. With a market value estimated to be around £23m at present, and under contract until next summer, football fans may see Sancho find a new home in the current window. Striker Ellis Simms spent a brief period of his youth with Manchester City before moving on to the Everton academy, graduating in 2020. However, the 24-year-old has failed to cut the mustard at the highest level of English football thus far. Between 2020 and 2023, Simms only made a dozen appearances for the Toffees, instead spending time on loan at Blackburn, Hearts and Sunderland , before being transferred to Coventry for an undisclosed fee. As of 2025, the centre-forward has netted 26 goals for Coventry in the EFL Championship from 99 appearances. His current estimated market value stands at £5m.