In Kevin de Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus Manchester City have two players who could reach even greater heights than David Silva and Sergio Aguero.
What was once considered the unthinkable is now a very real prospect.
De Bruyne and Jesus have established themselves as the heirs apparent to two men who have been so pivotal to City’s success in the age of Abu Dhabi ownership.
And on their current trajectory they could shatter the glass ceiling that has constrained Silva and Aguero for so long.
For all their brilliance in their time at the Etihad, the major individual honours have so far eluded the pair.
While the dominance of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo has made the Ballon d’Or a two-horse race over the past decade, the absence of Silva and Aguero in the serious running has been conspicuous.
That even the PFA has failed acknowledge them domestically is bewildering.
De Bruyne may well break the cycle of City players being overlooked by their fellow professionals on these shores this season.
The Belgian’s incredible displays in City’s rise to the top of the Premier League has been such that new superlatives need to be sought to describe his qualities on a match-by-match basis.
While De Bruyne was the only City player to be short-listed for the Ballon d’Or this year, he is not expected to put forward a genuine challenge to Messi or Ronaldo right now.
But that may not be the case in the the near future as the 26-year-old’s influence grows for Pep Guardiola’s team.
“He’s the best,” declared Owen Hargreaves. “He’s the best passer of the ball for goals I’ve seen in a long time.
“Paul Scholes was the best short range passer, for me, David Beckham was the best long range passer.
“His passing for goals, almost like one bounce and into people - I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone do that before.”
Some praise considering the players Hargreaves lined up with for Bayern Munich, Manchester United, City and England.
But it is measure of the new heights De Bruyne is reaching the longer he works with Guardiola.
And in Jesus, City have a player who was tipped to become Brazil’s next superstar even before he headed to the Etihad in January.
Since joining City, he has already displaced Aguero in Guardiola’s starting line up and his influence in attack is emphasised by his remarkable statistics.
The 20-year-old has been involved in 21 goals in 20 starts for the club - 15 goals and six assists.
It prompted BBC pundit Danny Murphy to make comparisons with the very best.
“He loves scoring goals, continually in the right place at the right time,” he said. “His touch is good, his balance is good, he’s brave on the ball. He’s quick, his left foot’s decent, demands the ball off people.
“I mean I’d go as far to say he’s probably the best young player I’ve seen since Messi.
“I’m not saying he’s as good as Messi, but since Messi.
“I think at 19 or 20 years of age, he’s just turned 20, he’s absolutely sensational.”
In the season when Aguero should break Eric Brook's all-time goal-scoring record for City, Jesus may well achieve one thing the Argentine never has by being named in the PFA team of the year?
Not that it will mean much to Guardiola.
The City manager is famed for his disregard of individual honours - citing the importance of the team instead.
But he will know individual recognition should go hand in hand with the success of his side - which is certainly how the season is panning out so far.
Two Man City players can rival Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for future Ballon d'Ors - Manchester Evening News