Álvaro Santos: Manchester City group talent rising rapidly – Future at City looks realistic

Manchester City may not have him at the Etihad, but one of their group prospects is starting to make noise in Portugal.

Álvaro Santos, a 20-year-old Spanish winger, is currently impressing at FC Penafiel in Liga Portugal 2 – the country’s second division. According to Portuguese newspaper A Bola, he has become one of the faces of the club’s recent upturn in form.

Santos completed his development at Celta Vigo before moving to Belgium. There, he spent two seasons with Lommel SK – a club owned by the City Football Group.

That detail matters. His move was not random scouting. It was part of the wider Manchester City network strategy. The English champions’ group identified him early and brought him into their…