Blues youngster Ben Knight turned down a late move from Tottenham Hotspur prior to agreeing to join Manchester City. The 16-year-old's switch to the Premier League champions is set to be confirmed in the next few days.
According to the Daily Telegraph, Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino himself was part of a delegation which tried to convince Knight (pictured above, front, second right) and his family that he should join them rather than City.
TWTD understands the offer Town received from the North Londoners was actually higher than the one agreed with City but Knight and his family were sold on the move to the Etihad Stadium with their interest going back a number of years.
We understand the move to City came close to going through towards the end of last season with the Blues doing everything in their power to persuade Knight and his family that he should stay at Playford Road.
The Telegraph reports that Town will receive £700,000 for Knight with further top-ups as his career progresses, however, we understand the initial figure is just over £1 million with a similar figure also quoted elsewhere when the story broke on Thursday.
Knight agreed a scholarship with Town several years ago, which was due to start in July, and also a subsequent professional deal but the Blues were ultimately powerless to hold on to the highly-rated number 10, as was the case with striker Charlie Brown when he joined Chelsea in 2016.
Former boss Mick McCarthy said at the time: "It’s just one of those things, you can’t do anything about it. You have to just make the best deal you can.”
Had Town been unable to agree a fee with City for Knight, the matter would have gone to a tribunal and the Blues may well have ended up receiving a lower figure.
Owner Marcus Evans is hugely frustrated by the loss of Knight and an academy system so heavily weighted towards the bigger clubs and we understand is set to make a statement on the move once it is formally confirmed.
As previously reported, the required permission from the Premier League for Knight to join City has been granted and it's now merely a case of details relating to the switching being tied up.
In addition to the footballing side of their academy, City, where former Blues keeper Richard Wright and ex-U23s coach Mark Kennedy both now work, offer their youngsters a full private education programme.
Tottenham’s interest in Knight comes as little surprise with the England U15 and U16 international, the nephew of former England and Essex cricketer Nick, having been one of four Blues youngsters to guest for a Spurs U15s squad at a tournament in San Diego in May 2017.
All the top Premier League clubs have eyed Cambridgeshire-based Knight during his time at Playford Road, while Borussia Dortmund and Monaco are among the overseas sides who are also said to have shown interest.
Knight is the player Town head of coaching and player development Bryan Klug referred to as "potentially the best player" he has worked with at the Supporters Club AGM last year, while academy coach Kieron Dyer once compared the diminutive youngster’s style of play to that of Argentine star Lionel Messi.
The Blues also look set to lose another promising youngster with 15-year-old Canadian Marcelo Flores, whose father Ruben is a coach at Playford Road, interesting Arsenal.
Chelsea, Liverpool and Barcelona are also among the clubs believed to have been tracking Flores.