Manchester City have signed another one of the most highly-rated teenagers in the country, agreeing compensation with Aston Villa for their former academy midfielder Kane Taylor, who was pursued by many of the Premier League’s biggest clubs.

The 14-year-old had de-registered at Villa last season meaning that he was available for £129,000 compensation under the Elite Player Performance Plan tariffs, prompting a stampede of the Premier League’s elite. Liverpool were especially keen on Taylor and made efforts to persuade him to sign. There were also representations made on behalf of Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal.

Taylor is a left-footed midfielder who will go into City’s Under-16s squad next season. Signing him at a relatively young age makes the deal much less financially onerous for City who would be liable to a much larger fee were they to wait until the player was old enough to be offered a scholarship and a professional deal at Villa.

The club have pursued a policy of recruiting some of the leading English talents in that age-group for the last two years. Last season they signed Darko Gyabi, a 2004 born midfielder originally at Millwall, and also the 14-year-old Bolton Wanderers academy striker Daniel Ogwuru. Both were at EPPP category two academies and a fee was paid for each player.