Salford City’s on loan teenage sensation Matty Young has been in fantastic form since his summer arrival, sparking interest from Manchester City in recent weeks

Young appears to be the next elite goalkeeper to emerge from Sunderland’s academy programme. The highly rated teenager joined Salford City on loan from the Black Cats in July 2024, and since his debut on August 13 in the EFL Cup against Doncaster Rovers he’s gone from strength to strength.

It must be said: If City are interested, it will come with a hefty price tag, taking a lot to pry him from his boyhood club in spite of them putting eight goals past him in the FA Cup third round thrashing.

READ MORE: Omar Marmoush bids Eintracht Frankfurt emotional farewell ahead of £67m Man City transfer

READ MORE: Why PSG's £59m new signing is banned from must-win Champions League game vs Man City

Young just signed a new long-term contract with Sunderland until 2028 and explained to their website: "I have been with the club for over a decade. I have supported Sunderland AFC my whole life. The place means the world to me, as a player and as a supporter."

The 18-year-old joined Sunderland at the age of seven and after rising through the Academy of Light ranks, he made his debut at the senior level in a preseason friendly against New Mexico United in the summer of 2023.

His reputation quickly flew and following a brief stop off at Darlington for three months in National League North, Young moved to Gary Neville- owned Salford City on loan. Initially, the young keeper struggled to break into the side. However, the reputation he’d built around the Academy of Light was waiting to reveal itself and so it has.

Despite being a teenager, Young has been dazzling in League Two, starring for his side who are third in the table and pushing for promotion partly through his influence. Following on from an excellent first round FA Cup performance, he made his League Two debut on December 3, against Harrogate Town and quickly amassed seven clean sheets in the club’s next eight matches amidst an unbeaten run.

"Starting that FA Cup game was the turning point, I was over the moon and thankfully did enough to keep my place in our next 2-0 victory over Harrogate. Learning curves come along the way," Young said.

"The defeat at Gillingham, and the conditions, it was very humbling. Since then, we have climbed the table on this brilliant unbeaten run."

His heroics haven’t stopped there. Young’s catlike reflexes produced two penalty saves in one game earlier this season and just a few weeks ago he was at it again.

Salford reached the Emirates FA Cup Third Round for the first time in the club's 84-year-old history, due in part, to another save from the spot. He said: "That’s the first time the club have reached the first round, I’m very proud of that and the team as well tonight, it’s been very good."

Young recently made his England Under-20 debut but as a consequence of his FA Cup heroics, Salford ironically faced City in the third round. Despite losing 8-0 in a demoralising affair at the Etihad Stadium, Young took to X to find the positives.

He tweeted: "[I am] Proud of the team’s effort in this competition, plenty to take from against tough opposition and full focus on the league now."

His ceiling appears perennial. Young wants to follow in the footsteps of Everton’s England international goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and current goalkeeper Anthony Patterson. When speaking to his club, he claimed he eventually wants Sunderland’s number one jersey

"I want to play for this club in the future, that is the goal for me. I am working my way up to hopefully get my opportunity.

"I am really pleased with the progress I am making so far."

City could look to test that target, though, having reportedly identified him as a future number one for both them and England.

City's current goalkeeping options Ederson and Stefan Ortega are both the wrong side of 30 and Young could well be signed with the future in mind - much like the imminent arrivals of defenders Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis.