Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has claimed that youngsters will choose to play for Manchester City rather than his old club due to their recent success.
City opened a new academy close to the Etihad Stadium earlier this week in an attempt to increase the number of homegrown players making it into the first-team squad, and Scholes believes that such moves are a threat to United's ability to attract younger players.
"When I was a kid, it was the case among the lads I played football with that if Manchester United wanted to sign you then joining Manchester City was not even a consideration," the former England international wrote in his column for The Independent.
"Thirty years on, and the picture in Manchester is very different and, as a United fan, it worries me.
"Trying to look at it from a neutral perspective I have to say that what City have achieved is impressive and their impact on the youth scene in Manchester began long before the opening of their City Football Academy this week, an event which seems to have generated more publicity in some quarters than the arrival of Christmas itself."
City and United are currently separated by five points in the Premier League.
