19-year-old City midfielder Jadel Katongo is reportedly on the Saints’ radar
The England U20’s international was initially a centre-back by trade but has featured as a defensive midfielder while on loan at League One side Peterborough United this season.
He’s also featured at right-back this season for the Posh, showing his versatility.
Being able to play in multiple positions will make the youngster a very attractive potential signing for interested clubs, with Premier League side Burnley also thought to be keen on the youngster.
Who is Jadel Katongo?
Katongo joined Manchester City’s age-grade sides at U9’s and has subsequently worked his way up through the ranks. He was the youngest member of City’s U18 title-winning side during the 2020/21 campaign and played 18 times for City’s U18 side the following season as they won the league yet again.
He also made his debut for City’s Elite Development Squad (EDS) during the 2021/22 season, before stepping up to become a permanent member of the EDS squad last season. He actually made his first-team debut for City last season, playing the full 90 minutes in a mid-season friendly win against Girona at the City Football Academy in December.
City decided to loan him out for the 2023/24 campaign to experience a taste of first-team football, and it was Peterborough who acquired his services in late August.
How has Jadel Katongo performed for Peterborough United?
Katongo has made 10 appearances in all competitions for the Posh, with six of those coming in League One. He’s started three league games, and has been used off the bench in three, amassing 303 minutes of league football so far this season.
Having joined at the end of August when the season was already in full flow, it was always going to mean that Katongo was on the back foot when it came to forcing his way into the starting eleven.
However, the youngster impressed in the EFL Trophy where he started the two games against Cambridge United and Tottenham U21’s in his natural position of centre-back. He played 75 minutes and scored a goal against the U’s, before playing the full 90 minutes against the young Spurs. This is the only time Katongo has played the full 90 for Peterborough so far this season.
His form at Peterborough has seen him receive a first call-up to the England U20 side. Then managed by new Millwall boss, Joe Edwards, Katongo played 68 minutes in a 2-0 defeat to Romania U20’s in October.
It was seen as quite a coup when Peterborough managed to get the loan signing over the line, with manager Darren Ferguson saying, “I am delighted. He is a young boy that we know really well, we feel that he is ready for his first loan away from the club.
“He is a centre-back, he is good with the ball, his stats are fantastic, he can play in a back four or a back three and can also play at right-back, so he covers a lot of what we need and I am excited about his arrival.”
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