South London-raised teenager set for dream move to Manchester City

BY RICHARD CAWLEY

Kwadwo Baah looks set to join Manchester City at the end of the season to cap a big turnaround for the former Crystal Palace youngster.

The South Norwood-raised attacker was on the Eagles’ books but was released in 2017.

A host of top clubs in England and Europe have been tracking Baah, 18, and he produced a sumptuous finish for Rochdale in their 4-4 draw at Charlton in the middle of last month.

The teenager has previously admitted disciplinary issues led to his departure from Palace. They had signed him at the age of nine, when he was playing for Catford club Moonshot.

“Rochdale have made me realise that I have to grow up and my behaviour has improved,” he told The Guardian recently. “I’ve matured a lot and I don’t do the stuff that I used to do when I was young.

“I’ll be honest, I wasn’t the perfect kid at Palace. I used to get in trouble and because of that I always had pressure on me and I didn’t enjoy football as much.”

“I’m around the senior players and you have to be professional. It’s had a massive impact on me growing up.

“One day I could end up in the Premier League, you never know.”

Baah is thought to have agreed terms with City and will join them when his contract at the Crown Oil Arena expires in the summer.

City are expected to loan the German-born player out next season, most likely to see him tested at Championship level.

Baah made headlines as a ballboy at Crystal Palace. He tried to stop West Ham timewasting in a 2016 fixture by placing the ball in the six-yard area to try and hurry Adrian’s goal-kick.

He has scored three goals in 14 league matches for Rochdale.