The Athletic journalist Sam Lee has given an update on why Tommy Doyle was sent on loan this season to Hamburg SV in Bundesliga 2.

The Lowdown: Rising talent at City

The 19-year-old has been at the club since the age of eight and has made seven first-team appearances since being given his debut in October 2019 in a 3-1 victory over Southampton.

The midfielder spent large parts of last season with the City under-23 team as they won their first Premier League 2 title with 56 points. Doyle scored four times and supplied ten assists across 14 games whilst also playing four minutes in the Champions League victory over Olympiacos. 

In the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, Doyle clocked up 168 minutes after starting against Bournemouth and Cheltenham respectively.  

The Latest: Moving abroad for exposure

In an article f0r The Athletic, City correspondent  Lee has explained how Hamburg’s ‘long-standing interest’ in Doyle paid off, despite Championship duo Huddersfield Town and Swansea City making offers for her services. 

It is believed that the club's stature is one of the reasons City opted to send him to one of Germany’s biggest clubs, with the hope that he will begin playing regularly as the six-time Bundesliga winners look to return to the top flight at the fourth attempt. 

With his experience of playing in front of large crowds with the first team, the club feel that playing in front of an average attendance of 17,000 or more at Hamburg will help his development and hopefully enable him to follow in the footsteps of Jude Bellingham to shine in Germany. 

The Verdict: Different path but same outcome to Foden

The teenage sensation appears to be highly rated by Etihad Stadium chiefs and the opportunity to progress abroad comes at a perfect time for Doyle. Pep Guardiola claimed he has "special quality" after the midfielder impressed against Swansea in the FA Cup, while Lee noted that the 19-year-old 'has stood out as a big-game player in his academy career'.

If he is to follow in the footsteps of Phil Foden, who didn’t even go out on loan, Doyle will be hoping to impress and help Die Rothosen back to the Bundesliga whilst catching the eye of Guardiola in the process. 

With the world-class quality of Fernandinho, Ilkay Gundogan and Rodri in his midfield position, the exposure to a first-team environment could be priceless for the Manchester native as he continues his journey towards establishing himself at the Etihad. 

In other news, lots of Manchester City have been reacting to a contract update. Find out more here.