6 Youth Players Man City Should Loan Out to Vincent Kompany's Anderlecht

Vincent Kompany will undoubtedly go down as a Manchester City great, but his time in England has come to an end as he made the switch to Belgian side Anderlecht

Vincent Kompany will undoubtedly go down as a Manchester City great, but his time in England has come to an end as he made the switch to Belgian side Anderlecht to take up the player-manager role.

City will miss him at the back, but this could open up a whole new horizon for the club. After all, Anderlecht are regularly part of the Europa League and always one of the top sides in Belgium. That sounds like a pretty great place to send a youngster on loan.

Here are six young players City should send over to Anderlecht next season.

Joel Latibeaudiere 

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Joel Latibeaudiere's situation with City is a confusing one right now. The 19-year-old defender was once viewed as one of England's finest defensive prospects and also described as 'The Next Kompany', but has found his progress stunted for a number of reasons.

Last summer, talks stalled over a new contract for Latibeaudiere, who was thought to be frustrated with a lack of first-team action. He then suffered a serious knee injury in September 2018 and has not been seen since. Time for a change of scenery?

There are few centre-backs better to learn under than Kompany, who could take Latibeaudiere under his wing and help him realise his potential. By the sounds of it, that's exactly what Latibeaudiere needs.

Cameron Humphreys

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Often lining up alongside Latibeaudiere, Cameron Humphreys is another centre-back who has attracted plenty of praise, including from City manager Pep Guardiola. He was named on the bench in March's Champions League meeting with Schalke, but has not actually seen first-team action since early 2016. 

Now 20, you get the feeling that Humphreys needs to take that next step soon. He has just 14 minutes of top-flight experience to his name, which certainly needs to change, and Anderlecht could be the perfect landing spot.

Comfortable both centrally and on the right, Humphreys would offer Kompany some impressive versatility, and his wealth of experience training with City's seniors will have prepared him well.

Ian Poveda

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City's embarrassment of attacking riches has made game time hard to come by for winger Ian Poveda. The former Barcelona and Brentford starlet (how's that for a career path?) played the entirety of January's 1-0 win over Burton Albion and has previously drawn comparisons to Alexis Sanchez (when that used to be a compliment).

Making the jump directly to City's starting lineup is a tough ask for any player, so Poveda will likely be tasked with proving himself at a high level out on loan, and that is something he could achieve with Anderlecht.

He has watched close friends Jadon Sancho and Reiss Nelson excel away from England, and the chance to do the same could be all Poveda needs to establish himself.

Lorenzo Gonzalez

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Since leaving his native Switzerland to join City in 2016, Lorenzo Gonzalez has struggled to find that all-important chance to prove himself. Often playing well above his age group, the 19-year-old forward has enjoyed several prolific years with the Citizens, but is yet to get anywhere close to the first team.

Tipped by fans to be the second coming of Sergio Aguero, Gonzalez will likely need a season away from City to help him improve. Anderlecht are not blessed with many forwards, especially with Yannick Bolasie returning to Everton, so there could be a spot open for someone like Gonzalez.

The powerful striker has never struggled to score goals, and his addition could help Kompany achieve his goals, whilst also allow Gonzalez a chance to develop. Everyone's a winner.

Lukas Nmecha

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— Lukas Nmecha (@LukasNmecha) January 4, 2019

After years of impressing in the academy, young forward Lukas Nmecha was involved with City's first team towards the end of the 2017/18 season. He was then sent on loan to Preston North End last summer, but found himself forced to adapt into a different role.

In 44 appearances, he has just three goals and has often found himself out of the starting lineup. He is yet to translate his skill to the senior stage, and you fear that, at 20 years old, Nmecha may only have a few more chances to prove his worth to City.

Anderlecht could offer Nmecha regular, high-level football, and Kompany may be able to steer the German youth international back towards the club's first team.

Claudio Gomes

Arguably the star of City's academy, Claudio Gomes has long been viewed as a sure-fire success. The defensive-midfielder tasted just five minutes of senior action last season, with star anchor-man Fernandinho continuing to excel.

The Brazilian recently turned 34, and City will undoubtedly be thinking about life without him, so it may be time to start preparing Gomes. The only way to do that is with games, and Anderlecht would be a perfect test for the 18-year-old.

Replacing Fernandinho, who is arguably one of Guardiola's most important players, is not an easy chance, but a year working under Kompany at Anderlecht could put Gomes on the right track.