Kilwa is set to join City's youth system Naomi Baker/Getty ImagesJuly 3, 2026 12:12 pm EDT Updated England youth international Heaven Kilwa is expected to join Manchester City after rejecting a scholarship at Aston Villa.The 16-year-old was the only player in his age group to turn down scholarship terms to stay in the Midlands, instead opting to explore his options. Multiple sources expected Kilwa to join City, provided talks go well.His contract expired at the start of July, with Villa having anticipated for some time that the talented winger would depart.Kilwa is highly regarded within the industry and has featured for England’s under-15 and under-16 age groups. The teenager, who joined from Coventry City five years ago, has also stepped up to feature in Villa’s under-18s side on six occasions, scoring twice.
Villa are now working to secure a stylistic replacement for Kilwa, having demonstrated an impressive track record in academy recruitment over recent years.The club’s FA Youth Cup victory was forged on a combination of homegrown talents and domestic recruitment, signing players from EFL sides and developing them within their coaching structure.Villa will receive training compensation for Kilwa, even if his departure comes as a blow. The academy department has developed several young players in recent years who have proven important in aiding the first team’s ongoing tussle with financial restrictions, having sold several homegrown talents for pure bookable profit reasons.This is expected to be an approach taken again this summer, with Villa looking at selling youngsters and inserting mechanisms, such as matching rights, that allow them to have some form of control over their futures. This is a topic being discussed, as opposed to continuing to loan many of the players from the under-21 and under-18 age groups.Jul 3, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms
