(Credit: Imago)

Jonathan Burnett

Tue 19 August 2025 10:52, UK

Nico O’Reilly and Oscar Bobb are two of several young players who could leave Manchester City before the end of the transfer window.

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Pep Guardiola‘s side sit top of the Premier League with the first round of matches complete in 2025–26, with four players making their league debuts for Man City and several academy graduates also featuring.

James Trafford started between the sticks after his return to the Etihad Stadium from Burnley, and debut goalscorer Tijjani Reijnders was joined on the right flank of Guardiola’s side by Bobb and Rico Lewis.

Both Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace wanted to sign Bobb on loan earlier this summer after injuries disrupted his progress at Man City last season, but his start and assist for Reijnders’ strike will have done the Norwegian’s first-team chances no harm.

James Trafford is back at Man City two years after his initial exit (Credit: Manh Tung, Breaking Media)

With Trafford, Lewis and Bobb all in the starting XI, O’Reilly added to the number of Man City academy graduates on the pitch when he replaced skipper Bernardo Silva in the 66th minute of Saturday’s match.

O’Reilly has been heavily linked with a move away from the Etihad this summer, and Man City’s former financial advisor Stefan Borson told Football Insider that a £40million bid from Chelsea was rejected.

This came after City opened talks with O’Reilly over a now-agreed new contract, despite Paul Robinson telling Football Insider that the 20-year-old could follow the path set by Cole Palmer if he does move on.

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O’Reilly posted on Instagram on Monday after City’s successful Premier League opener at Molineux, and Bobb responded to his series of photos with the verdict of: “Bigman”.

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Football Insider Verdict

Football Insider revealed last month that Man City are ready to sell off three academy players in Callum Doyle, Issa Kabore and Luke Mbete, but O’Reilly and Bobb are unlikley to join that list this summer.

Guardiola has made a conscious effort to reduce the size of his first-team squad with Jack Grealish sent on loan to Everton and James McAtee sold to Nottingham Forest, opening spots for Bobb and O’Reilly.

The two youngsters have shown their first-team quality in recent seasons and after playing prominent roles so far in the new campaign, expect O’Reilly, Bobb, Lewis and Trafford to all play key roles this term.

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