Keir McMeekin - The Scottish midfield talent who's joining Manchester City

Keir McMeekin - The Scottish midfield talent who will join Manchester City

Antoine Semenyo’s arrival to the blue side of Manchester last Friday swept all other transfer stories aside. City had attracted one of the most exciting talents in the Premier League, setting them up with an array of attacking players that, to their rivals, looks plain greedy.

While the £64m Ghanaian winger went through his Hollywood star unveiling, more transfer news was breaking. Fabrizio Romano’s announcement that Man City had agreed a deal for Keir McMeekin from Hearts likely went unnoticed by the majority of City fans. Even for the transfer guru himself, a short tweet about the 15-year-old Scottish midfielder was a drop in his ocean of reporting, one he probably made without knowing who the player was.

🚨💙 EXCL: Manchester City agree deal to sign Scottish top talent Keir McMeekin from Hearts, here we go!

McMeekin was wanted by several top PL clubs, medical passed and contracts exchanged. Deal signed. 🔐🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿#MCFC prepared to announce Keir as new addition for the Academy. pic.twitter.com/WuAYbL84ZJ

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 9, 2026

Some Scots would have been dismissive of the news, assuming the young player has been lured by City only to find himself lost in the wilderness of the Championship or League One within the coming years. The sale could be seen as more evidence of Scottish clubs failing to promote their youth while being bullied into letting young talents go by the wealthier English clubs.

Then there is the minority, the privileged few who have seen the real-life player. The ones who know McMeekin is one of the best Scottish prospects in recent years.

Player Profile

Until City won the race for his signature, McMeekin had Premier League scouts falling over each other for a seat at Hearts youth games. He could be classified as an attacking midfielder, although the label falls short of capturing his full game.

The young Scot likes to drop deep and link the play. He combines well and moves the ball on quickly - mature enough to keep it simple, and wise enough to know when to thread through a killer pass. He is balanced and relaxed on the ball, often wrong-footing defenders with delightful feints and shifts of the feet. No matter the type of pass hit at him, his control is instant. When he drifts wide, time seems to slow down as he glides past a full-back - often the mark of a great player.

In a recent U16 game against Spain, McMeekin captained the side. Scotland were 2-0 down at the start of the second half, but the captain took control and launched a fightback. The midfielder received the ball, turned, and fired a high pass over the Spanish defence, creating the move for the first goal as Scotland eventually drew 3-3.

McMeekin is an unusual talent in the context of the current Scottish game. There is a delicacy and excitement around how he plays - a feeling of star quality. The national team have excellent midfielders, but nobody quite of his profile. If he were to fulfil his potential, Scotland would have a special creative player in the final third.

The Allure of Man City

McMeekin has frequently trained with the Hearts first team since the end of last season. He has recently played in bounce matches for Derek McInnes’ side. It feels as though McMeekin could have had a similar story to Max Dowman, another prodigy who made his Premier League debut for Arsenal at the age of 15. But there are different rules in Scotland, and players must be 16 to play in the SPFL.

McMeekin turns 16 in February and will join Man City on a scholarship contract until he is 17, when he will be able to sign a full professional contract.

Over the past decade, Man City, with their Abu Dhabi riches, have constructed one of the best youth academies and football campuses in the world. This is the ultimate attraction for any young player. The City Football Academy is a marvel. Youth players train on state-of-the-art pitches, always in the vicinity of the first team, with Man City’s stadium only a short walk across the road.

The environment is inspiring and designed to maximise the potential of every young player. This is what awaits McMeekin. He will have plenty of players to aspire to. Phil Foden is the obvious example, but he was just the start. City had nine academy graduates in their last Premier League matchday squad. The system produces outstanding technical footballers, even if they don’t make it to the City first team. Brahim Díaz and Cole Palmer have gone on to become world-class players elsewhere.

Everything is there for McMeekin to flourish. Yes, there is the fear that it might not work out. He could be swallowed up and disappear. But there is also the alternative, perhaps too grand for some Scotland fans to imagine.