The owners of Manchester City have agreed the acquisition of Belgium second division club Lommel SK in a bid to find the next Kevin De Bruyne and Vincent Kompany.
Lommel will become the ninth football club to fall under the City Football Group umbrella, along with Premier League champions City, New York City in MLS, Australia's Melbourne City, Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan, Club Atletico Torque of Uruguay, Girona in Spain, Sichuan Jiuniu in China and Mumbai City of India.
The Jupiler League has a strong reputation for youth development and CFG chief executive Ferran Soriano said the move was the latest example of their desire to developing talent internationally.
“We are excited to welcome Lommel SK to City Football Group and to work together with the fans and the city to develop the club," he said. "Belgium is one of Europe’s best football countries as demonstrated by the success of the national team and the development of world-class players, some of whom we know very well, like Kevin De Bruyne and Vincent Kompany.
“This investment is part of our long-term strategy to be present in key football countries, play beautiful football and develop talent.
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"We were attracted to Lommel’s culture, training facilities and commitment to youth development and we look forward to learning from their approach and helping the club to evolve in the months and years ahead.”
Lommel, who play their home games at the 8,000-capacity Soeverein Stadium in the province of Limburg, were sixth in the second division when football was shut down by the Covid-19 outbreak.
Paul Kerkhofs, President of the Lommel Not for Profit Foundation said: “We are delighted that City Football Group has chosen to acquire Lommel and ensure the future of our club. We are extremely impressed with their philosophy, track record and approach and look forward to working together to take the club forward.”
The Belgian club's history goes back almost a century and Lommel mayor Bob Nijs has welcomed the move.
“Lommel SK is an incredibly important part of our community," he said. "In City Football Group we have an ambitious, stable and reliable partner, which is committed to developing young players and will help the club to grow and succeed in the future. It is excellent news for the club and for the city."
