Manchester City expected to seal Jesus Medina transfer before loaning starlet out to gain experience

Medina will be loaned out, likely to another CFG club, but the move is evidence of City's increasing grip on the South American market

Jesus Medina of Libertad is expected to join Manchester City (Getty 2017)

The City Football Group’s South American expansion has been a key part of their recruitment plan, with the aim of snapping up some of the world’s best young players in a famously productive footballing continent and then training them into Premier League calibre players at their network of clubs.

And Manchester City are expected to shortly confirm the signing of Paraguayan midfielder Jesus Medina, 20, before farming him out on loan to another CFG side.

Medina, who plays for Libertad in his homeland and recently made his international debut against Mexico, was thought to be close to signing for Argentinean giants Boca Juniors until City made a move.

Joan Patsy is in charge of CFG’s South American recruitment, having been recruited from Barcelona by technical director Txiki Begiristain. Patsy played a large role in the signing of Gabriel Jesus, who has been a knockout success since signing from Palmeiras and will shortly sign a new, long-term contract with the Manchester club.

German Brunati and Pablo Forte also cover Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay for Manchester City, while they also have scouts in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico that report to Patsy, a former journalist who worked alongside Johan Cruyff during his time at Barca.