Jayden Braaf, a 19-year-old winger from the Manchester City academy recently joined Borussia Dortmund. Braaf was reportedly unhappy with his playing time, which saw him make move to the Bundesliga giants. He moved to Manchester from Eredivise side PSV Eindhoven in 2018.
At first glance, the move seems similar to the one of Jadon Sancho. The England international faced a similar problem at City where he was not getting any minutes. Then Dortmund came calling, and the player exploded to life, securing a 75 million pounds move to City’s neighbours in 2021. But recent reports from BBC’s Mike Minay suggest that another reason for the higher-ups at the Etihad to not give Jayden Braaf a new deal was his conduct.
There were a number of issues with Braaf’s attitude, as well as his entourage’s persistent demands for a new deal. Eventually, these issues could not be overcome and Braaf departed the Premier League giants without a single first-team appearance.
He moved to Udinese on loan in January 2021, but a serious knee injury hampered his progress. He ended the season with only 1 goal from 4 appearances. And after this unimpressive spell, there was a mutual feeling that neither party was interested in extending his stay at Manchester City.
Will City Regret Braaf Sale?
City may want to be more cautious after they let Jadon Sancho go. However, Braaf has not shown the high potential Sancho exhibited. His stats are not the ones which blow you away.
The fact that an experienced manager like Pep Guardiola has preferred other talents like Cole Palmer and James McAtee makes it clear that he is not highly rated by the ex-Barcelona boss. Moreover, City seem to be stacked on the wings. Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Cole Palmer all looking ready to be a part of City’s team for the years to come.
But on the other hand, Braaf is still 19. It is still a very young age in football terms, and with Dortmund’s excellent record of polishing young talents, Jayden Braaf may well be on the path to becoming a world-beater. Time will tell.
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