The Manchester City chairman, Khaldoon al-Mubarak, has said Pep Guardiola will promote Jadon Sancho, Phil Foden and Brahim Díaz to the first team, after the manager previously questioned whether youth players face enough competition to develop in England.

The forwards Díaz and Sancho, who are each 17, and the 18-year-old midfielder Foden were key members of the team that reached the FA Youth Cup final last season. Foden was also an unused substitute for City’s Champions League group game at home against Celtic in December.

City have arguably not produced a first-choice first-team player since Micah Richards in 2005 although the defender Tosin Adarabioyo did make three appearances under Guardiola last season.

Mubarak is clear that the club are about to do so, naming Díaz, Sancho and Foden as three players Guardiola is ready to choose. The chairman said: “What makes it special this [coming] year especially is that we have three or four players we can genuinely believe have a very good chance of making it to the first team. You look at [Jadon] Sancho, you look at Phil Foden you look at Brahim Díaz , just to name a few, these are players that are extremely talented. These are players who have a very good chance of making it to the first team.

“And these are players that if you ask Pep today he will tell you they can and will be first-team players at Manchester City. Pep spends a lot of time watching our academy players compete. And that is one of the great attributes that I’ve always loved in Pep and I’ve seen it in action. I’ve actually attended a couple of academy games this year where I have sat with him and seen how he knows every player, by name, he follows them, at multiple age groups. And that is great because that is what we are trying to build in terms of an ethos in this club.”

Yet this month Guardiola said: “They [some City youngsters] will come to the United States on our pre-season tour. They are 16, 17 or 18. The quality is there, but maybe not in the next year. Next season most of them will be training with us and we are going to see how they are.

“Here they don’t compete, they don’t play with each other, they are good guys but after they have to play in Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge. I don’t know if they are able to compete [there].”

Ederson will officially become a City player once the Premier League sign off the €40m (£34.69m) transfer of the goalkeeper from Benfica. Once third-party ownership issues are resolved the deal will go through and City do no expect any complications.

Ederson’s impending arrival means Joe Hart’s future at the club is almost certainly over. Hart spent last year on loan at Torino and the England goalkeeper is waiting to see what offers he receives before deciding where to play next season.