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Manchester City announced a five-year partnership with NAC Breda in April.

The Premier League side have an interest in a number of other clubs including Melbourne City, New York City FC and Yokohama F Marinos, and will now share scouting knowledge with the Dutch team as well.

Why are City branching out their global network of clubs into the Netherlands, and why have NAC Breda agreed to it?

Here's a bit more on the deal.

What do NAC Breda get?

The Dutch team will get between four and six players from City between the ages of 18 and 21 EVERY season.

Enes Unal and Divine Naah are provisionally signed up for next season, meaning at least another two will head over this summer.

City will also pay a development fee for any players that spend time there and will not ask for any contribution to player wages.

Who is likely to go?

Breda bosses ran the rule over the EDS earlier this month, watching two games and observing training sessions.

Both Garcias, Angus Gunn, Ian Lawlor and Tosin Adarabioyo top of the shopping list but there was satisfaction at the level of the whole squad.

They are prioritising a goalkeeper, central defence and central midfield, although they are aware City's youngsters may want to wait to see if they have a chance of the first team squad under Pep Guardiola or go elsewhere.

The clubs are in regular discussions and City representatives watched all four of Breda's recent play-off games.

What standard is the team and league?

An aggregate defeat in the play-off final to Willem II has consigned Breda to a second year in the Eerste Divisie, the second tier of Dutch football.

It is a young league - with B teams from Ajax and PSV - while Cambuur, who developed Jack Byrne this season, and FC Twente, who won the league under Steve McClaren, will also be in the division next season.

The club still draw five-figure crowds, averaging around 14,000 over the past year, and Unal has commented on how much he enjoys playing there.

“In our home games we are playing in a really impressive atmosphere and I really like it. I have a great mutual relationship with the fans – they are passionate and I am towards them too."

Why have City done it?

The failure to bring through any talent in the last year has created a bottleneck in the academy and that will be exacerbated by the new plans for the age groups.

Sending out youngsters to the Netherlands will ease that and get the playing competitive football - the fact Unal is already seen as Breda's best player bodes well for the potential playing time of others.

It remains to be seen how fruitful the link-up can be, but given the lack of success in recent years City are at least showing initiative to act.