Manchester City have coughed up £450,000 to sign 13 year-old Leke Drake from Stevenage Borough.

City saw off big competition from Manchester United and Chelsea to sign Drake who is also already being tracked by agents and sportswear firms as a star of the future.

Stevenage chairman Phil Wallace said, "This move highlights the success of our Academy structure in developing talent. There has been interest in Leke from several Premier League clubs since last year, but at such a delicate age, it was important everyone made the right decisions and we are delighted that he has earned the opportunity to play at the highest level of youth football in this country.

It has taken several years, but we now have a conveyor belt of talent within our Academy, with some very promising young lads coming through as scholars.

None of that would have been possible without the skill, hard work and dedication of our senior Academy management and coaches at every age level.

We are now able to show not only a pathway to first team professional football, but that we have the contacts and skillset to move lads up to the biggest clubs in the Premier League if they display the talent, attitude and work ethic required to compete in Premier League academies."