It’s easy to look at the trophy cabinet of Manchester City and think everything they touch turns to gold. But there’s a name that still makes a certain section of the Etihad crowd sigh when it comes up in conversation. Brahim Diaz.
Remember him? The kid with the velcro touch who looked like he was playing in slippers while everyone else was wearing lead boots.
Back in 2018, if you’d asked a regular at the City Football Academy who the "big three" were, they’d have told you: Phil Foden, Jadon Sancho, and Brahim Diaz. It was the holy trinity. One stayed and became a legend, one left for Germany to find himself, and the third? Well, Brahim basically decided that if he couldn't be the main man in Manchester, he’d go try his luck at the only club in the world with even higher expectations. Real Madrid.
Honestly, looking back at Brahim Diaz Man City years feels like watching a trailer for a movie that never actually got released in cinemas.
The £200,000 Gamble that Almost Paid Off
City didn't just stumble upon Brahim. They went out and grabbed him from Malaga in 2015 for about £200,000. For a 16-year-old, that’s pocket change for City, but it was a massive statement. He was part of that wave where the club stopped just buying the finished product and started trying to build it from the ground up.
The debut came against Swansea in 2016. He was 17. He replaced Kelechi Iheanacho, and for about ten minutes, you saw it. That low center of gravity. The way he’d receive the ball on the half-turn and just... go.
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He didn't look scared. That's the thing about Brahim. Some kids look like they’re vibrating with nerves when Pep Guardiola shouts at them from the touchline. Brahim looked like he was just waiting for the chance to show Pep why he was wrong to leave him on the bench.
By the 2017-18 season, he was popping up in the Champions League. He got his Premier League winner’s medal after five appearances. Everything was on track. Until it wasn't.
Why Brahim Diaz Left Manchester City
People always ask: "Why didn't Pep just play him more?"
It’s complicated. You’ve got to remember the state of that City squad. Raheem Sterling was in his prime. Leroy Sané was tearing the grass up on the wing. Riyad Mahrez had just arrived for £60 million.
Brahim looked at the path and saw a brick wall.
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He wanted minutes. Real, actual, "start-on-Saturday" minutes. City offered him a massive new contract—we're talking serious money for a teenager—but they couldn't offer him a guarantee.
Madrid, on the other hand, was calling. And when Real Madrid calls a Spanish kid, the conversation usually ends pretty quickly. In January 2019, with only six months left on his contract, City had to sell. They got £15.5 million (which eventually climbed higher with add-ons), but it felt like a defeat.
The "Anti-United" Clause
Here is a bit of trivia most people forget: City were so worried about Brahim’s potential that they put a "poison pill" in the contract.
- Standard sell-on clause? 15%.
- Sell-on clause if he goes to Manchester United? 40%.
They basically told Real Madrid, "You can sell him anywhere you want, but if you send him to Old Trafford, you're giving us half the check." That tells you everything you need to know about how much they feared his talent.
The Comparison: Foden vs. Diaz
It’s the debate that won't die. Phil Foden stayed, waited, sat through the "Pep's not playing him" memes, and eventually became the best player in the league. Brahim chose the hard road.
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Statistically, at the youth level, there wasn't much between them. Brahim was arguably more of a pure dribbler, a "Messi-esque" pocket rocket. Foden had that tactical discipline that Pep loves.
Could they have played together? Probably. But Brahim didn't have the patience of Foden. He didn't have the local connection that made Foden want to stay even when he wasn't playing. Brahim was a Malaga boy who saw a flight to the Bernabeu as a homecoming.
The Reality Check
Since leaving, Brahim hasn't exactly had a linear rise. He struggled for game time in Madrid initially. He had to go to AC Milan on loan for three years to actually find his rhythm.
- At Man City: 15 appearances, 2 goals (both in one game against Fulham).
- At AC Milan: Over 120 appearances, a Serie A title, and a resurgence.
- Back at Real Madrid: A Champions League winner and a vital "super-sub" who finally proved he belongs.
Recently, he even switched his international allegiance to Morocco. It’s been a wild journey. But for City fans, there’s always that "what if?" What if he’d waited just one more year? What if Leroy Sané’s injury had happened six months earlier?
Actionable Insights for Following the Brahim Story
If you're still tracking the career of this former City star, here is how to keep an eye on his progress:
- Watch the Super-Sub Role: At Real Madrid, Brahim has mastered the art of changing games from the bench. He’s currently one of the most efficient players in Europe for goal involvements per minute played.
- The Morocco Shift: Following his move to the Moroccan national team, his value has spiked. Keep an eye on the Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup qualifiers; he’s now the focal point of that team, something he never would have been for Spain.
- Transfer Valuation: He was sold for £15m. Today, experts value him closer to £50m. If Real Madrid ever decides to cash in, that 15% sell-on clause (as long as it’s not United!) will finally bring a nice little bonus back to the Etihad.
The story of Brahim Diaz Man City is a reminder that in modern football, sometimes you can do everything right—the scouting, the coaching, the contract offers—and still lose a gem. It wasn't a failure of talent. It was just a matter of timing.
For more on how City’s current academy stars are faring compared to the "class of 2018," check out the latest development reports from the CFA.