Manchester City Transfer News
Manchester City join Yan Diomande pursuit after Real Madrid bid fails
City have verbally indicated interest in Diomande, while Leipzig hold out for a bigger fee.
Manchester City have been drawn into the Yan Diomande race after informing RB Leipzig that they are prepared to make an offer. The approach arrives immediately after Real Madrid saw a proposal rejected.
The 19-year-old had already made clear that Paris Saint-Germain was his preferred option over Liverpool when the decision looked likely to come down to those two clubs. Real Madrid then moved with a package worth $115 million (€100 million), but Leipzig refused it and are said to want a higher fee. Madrid are also thought to have made progress in talks with the player’s camp over contract terms. PSG, despite an apparent agreement with Diomande, have still not made a club-to-club bid.
City’s position is being viewed as a verbal one for now. Sky Sport Germany reported that the Premier League club has “verbally indicated” it would be willing to offer a similar $115 million. Leipzig, however, are said to be seeking “significantly more,” which suggests the German club may be prepared to keep the market moving if other clubs stay involved. There is, at present, no official written offer from City.
Diomande’s ability to operate on either wing gives the interest a clear footballing logic. On City’s side, the right flank stands out as the most obvious destination, with Jérémy Doku established on the left and Rayan Cherki in the No. 10 role. Phil Foden also provides cover across those positions, leaving City with a strong level of flexibility in attack.
The winger search, which is now also believed to include Chelsea’s Pedro Neto, points towards movement elsewhere in the squad. Savinho is increasingly expected to leave, with a Tottenham Hotspur transfer for the 22-year-old Brazilian having been rumoured for some time.
Antoine Semenyo could also feel the impact. After January’s move from Bournemouth, he scored five times in his first eight Premier League appearances for City, before adding only two more in his next nine.
Manchester City
City weigh Maresca-linked names as transfer planning sharpens
City are assessing Maresca-linked options as they look for depth, balance and attacking cover in 2026/27.
Manchester City are confronting their toughest spell in a decade after the departures of Pep Guardiola, Bernardo Silva and John Stones since the end of last season. Rodri could still leave as Real Madrid begin to reciprocate his feelings of attraction.
City had already acted before that possibility gathered pace, signing Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest in a club-record move. The transfer briefly made him the most expensive Englishman of all time, even if the original plan was likely to use him alongside Rodri.
That leaves City looking for specific fixes and greater depth rather than a full rebuild. A winger is one area under consideration, and the Daily Mail reports that Chelsea’s Pedro Neto is among the names being explored, with Yan Diomande and Ibrahim Mbaye also mentioned.
Neto would also reconnect him with Maresca, under whom he made 77 appearances, contributed 27 goals and assists, and was the manager’s seventh most-used player in 2024-25. City’s interest is not tied only to Maresca’s move back to the Etihad Stadium either, since they had been linked with Neto and several other clubs in 2024 before he signed with Chelsea.
That naturally raises the question of which other players Maresca knew at Stamford Bridge might now enter the discussion. Malo Gusto looks the clearest practical fit, given the lack of depth at right back. Matheus Nunes remains the first choice there despite being a midfielder by trade, while Rico Lewis spent much of last season either out of favour or not healthy. The issue is the reported £75 million ($100 million) valuation.
City are stronger elsewhere in defence. Marc Guéhi has already been signed to effectively replace Stones in advance, while Vitor Reis is back after a formative loan at Girona. Maresca also has three left-back options in Nico O’Reilly, Rayan Aït-Nouri and Joško Gvardiol.
In midfield, Enzo Fernández had been a player of interest, but Moisés Caicedo may be the better fit to replace Rodri, although he would be close to impossible to sign. Cole Palmer remains another persistent topic, with speculation that he is homesick in London and longs to return to Manchester refusing to go away. Maresca never saw the same explosive breakout star Mauricio Pochettino worked with in 2023-24, but the talent is still there.
City recently gave Phil Foden a new contract, yet there is room for another fluid attacker as they prepare to stay active in four competitions well into 2027. If Palmer returned and rotated with Foden and Rayan Cherki, City would look formidable again.
