Manchester City have agreed a deal to sign American teenager Cavan Sullivan, and he'll officially become a Blues player in exactly a year's time. Sullivan turns 17 today and will join City on his 18th birthday, but this weekend gave everyone a glimpse of exactly what the club will be getting.
The midfielder made his debut for the United States on Saturday night, playing an hour in a friendly win over Peru. Nobody yet knows whether Sullivan will go straight into City's first-team plans, settle into the academy first, or head out on loan when he arrives. What is clear is that his form has made him impossible to ignore.
A breakthrough season in MLS
Mauricio Pochettino handed Sullivan his first cap on the back of a remarkable run of form for Philadelphia Union, where he's been shining despite being just 16. Since the summer break for the World Cup, no player in MLS has more goal contributions than Sullivan - and the only one to match his total of 13 is Lionel Messi. That's rarefied company for a player City agreed to sign back in 2024.
"If we only talk about his performance, he's doing really well in his club in Philadelphia. Talking only about that, I think he's ready, but the rest of the players too," Pochettino said of Sullivan ahead of the win over Peru. "He's mature enough on the field."
Sullivan produced a composed display in what was a comfortable US victory, one of several young stars given a run-out as the Americans build toward the next World Cup.
"It was a really special day for me, my family," Sullivan said afterward. "It's crazy that I represented my country the highest level with the men's national team, so I'm really happy to have done this. Overall, it was a really amazing night." He added: "There were nerves I was super excited - a little bit of both. Pregame was definitely nerve-wracking, yeah."
Pochettino avoided singling Sullivan out after the match, preferring to praise the team as a whole, but the teenager looks set to remain part of the squad. The US play Chile in the early hours of Wednesday morning, followed by fixtures against Mexico and Canada during this international break.
Following in Freddy Adu's footsteps
Sullivan's rise has long been tracked closely, with his ability evident from a young age. Those who've worked with him say his talent is matched by his temperament.
"A lot of attention goes on the creative things that he brings to the game," Union interim head coach Ryan Richter told ESPN. "But the thing that stands out to me the most is his mentality and his competitiveness and the way that he approaches every single day."
There's a cautionary tale in the story of Freddy Adu, once labelled 'the next Pele' after signing an MLS contract at 14 - just as Sullivan did two decades later. Adu went on to have a fine career but spent most of his senior years in the States, including time at Union. When Sullivan broke Adu's record as the youngest debutant in MLS history back in 2024, Adu tweeted his congratulations: "That's a hard record to break and the kid did it. Well done and good luck my man."
The challenge now for Sullivan is turning his form in MLS into something that translates when he arrives in Manchester next year. City are said to stay in regular contact with both player and club to check on his progress, and Sullivan himself sounds ready for what's coming.
"Man City, what makes the club is the people," Sullivan said earlier this year.
