Youth policies differ from club to club, but Manchester City have shifted from their original model so far this summer.
For so long, the Blues have sent some of their finest young talent on loan to gain valuable first-team minutes and experience the trials and tribulations of senior football.
Some of returned successful, with Oleksandr Zinchenko's spell in PSV earning him a spot in Pep Guardiola's squad for the 2017/18 season - and the rest is history.
However, other young stars have opted to leave the club permanently and enjoy a settled start to their fledgling career elsewhere.
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Jadon Sancho is a major example of that, with the now-Manchester United winger making the permanent switch to Borussia Dortmund in 2017.
City may have regretted letting such a fledgling talent go, but it seems like the club are switching towards that particular model at present.
Gavin Bazunu and Romeo Lavia have both left the club to join Southampton for a combined fee of nearly £30 million this summer, but both have buy-back clauses inserted into their new contracts.
Selling youth prospects on permanent deals places a financial burden on the buying club to play and develop their new acquisitions.
And if they impress, City will have the option to bring them back.
One player whose situation is still up in the air is James McAtee.
The Salford-born midfielder has broke through the ranks at City and made his senior debut in the Carabao Cup last season.
He went on to make further first-team appearances in the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League - firmly establishing himself as a future star.
All summer, it has seemed like the 19-year-old would be following the same development path as Phil Foden and staying at the club this season, but an emerging report has suggested otherwise.
According to Football Insider, City have given the 'green light' for McAtee to go out on a season-long loan this summer - with multiple teams interested.
Sides at Premier League and Championship level are reportedly in the race, and the club now believe seeing regular action could be a good thing for the youngsters development.
City are jam-packed with quality in central midfield and opportunities to feature will be few and far between in the next 12 months.
Cole Palmer is now seen as a fully-fledged member of the first-team squad, so he joins Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan as his quartet of midfield options.
The England U21 international is also capable of operating in the front line, with pre-season appearances showing his unique ability on the right.
Topics: Manchester City, James McAtee, Premier League, Manchester City Transfer News & Rumours
Harry Siddall