Man City transfer news: ‘Verbal agreement reached’ for defender to join Ligue 1 club on loan

Manchester City defender Juma Bah has reportedly chosen to join Ligue 1 outfit Nice on loan for the 2025-26 campaign.

The 19-year-old appeared to be closing in on a temporary switch to Lyon who had allegedly moved themselves into pole position to win the race for his signature.

It was reported that Lyon had reached an agreement with Man City to loan one of their players for the upcoming season following the £34m sale of Rayan Cherki to Pep Guardiola’s side earlier this month.

However, journalist Fabrizio Romano claims that Bah has ‘decided to proceed’ with a move to Nice, with a verbal agreement said to have been reached.

Bah, who had also attracted interest from Leeds United, Southampton, Paris FC and FC Koln, is set to continue his career in France after spending the second half of last season with Lens.

The towering 6ft 5in defender was loaned to Lens in January after penned a long-term agreement with Man City and he started eight of their final 10 Ligue 1 games, helping the club keep four clean sheets and finish the season eighth in the table, eight points and four places behind Nice who will soon enter the Champions League qualification rounds.

Bah was signed by Man City for an undisclosed fee after making a notable impression during a six-month spell in Spain with Real Valladolid, where he started 11 of his 13 La Liga appearances during the first half of the 2024-25 campaign.

The teenager was recently spotted in Manchester with his agent, taking photos inside the Etihad Stadium and having a closer look around the sky blue surroundings he hopes to get accustomed to in the near future.

However, with Guardiola’s first-team squad heavily stocked in the centre-back department, the decision has been made for Bah to leave temporarily to continue his development at a club where he can gain regular first-team football.

Man City stocked up with seven centre-backs ahead of next season

Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol formed a strong partnership at the heart of City's defence towards the backend of last season and Guardiola will likely view the Citizens duo as his first-choice centre-back pairing for next season.

Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji and John Stones all struggled with injuries last season and while it is possible that all three defenders stay at the Etihad this summer, Man City expert Steven McInerney from Esteemed Kompany believes that at least two centre-backs may need to leave the club as Guardiola seeks to trim his squad.

January additions Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis are also available for selection, although it remains to be seen how much first-team football - particularly the latter - will gain in the 2025-26 campaign.

Written by
Oliver Thomas