Man City Join Chelsea And Arsenal In Pursuing ‘Midfield Maestro’ Likened To Kevin De Bruyne And Pedri

Man City are keeping close tabs on Club Tijuana “midfield maestro” Gilberto Mora, according to reports.

The 16-year-old is Mexico’s most promising young talent, having already received 3 senior international caps and TEAMtalk claim that Pep Guardiola‘s side are tracking his progress.

Mora has been compared to a cross between Kevin De Bruyne and Barcelona’s Pedri, making him a very exciting prospect.

At 5ft 6, he is by no means the tallest, but he is technically very gifted and that has attracted the attention of many top teams from across Europe.

Who will Man City be competing with for his signature?

TEAMtalk report that Arsenal and Chelsea are the two other Premier League sides watching Mora, while Real Madrid and Barcelona are also in the mix.

The Mexican international’s age means that City would have to wait until January 2027 to secure his signature. English clubs are not legally allowed to sign players from abroad unless they 18 years of age or over.

Mora could be secured on a pre-contract

There are many recent examples where a pre-agreement has been reached with clubs for players below the age of 18. Chelsea have gone down this route on several occasions, with the most recent examples being Estevao and Kendry Paez.

A transfer fee for Estevao was actually agreed with Palmeiras in the summer of 2024 before the teenager eventually made the switch over a year later.

The lead time was even longer with Paez. Chelsea reached an agreement with the Ecuadorian’s club Independiente del Valle in June 2023. The 18-year-old officially only made the switch to Stamford Bridge two years later.

Mora will turn 18 in October next year, so City wouldn’t have to wait quite as long to sign him if they made an offer now.

Read more about the Man City First Team Squad for 2025/26 here