Manchester City have turned down approaches from Ipswich Town and Swansea City to take teenage defender Stephen Mfuni on loan.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Manchester City have turned down loan approaches from Ipswich Town and Swansea City for teenage defender Stephen Mfuni. There are several reasons why Pep Guardiola’s side have rejected the idea of sending the left-footed centre-back to gain experience elsewhere, although the defender is not seen close to the first team at the Etihad.
Manchester City have one of the best academies in English football, and there are plenty of talents ready to burst out onto the scene, either at the Etihad or elsewhere. Several clubs are looking at the talents produced by the club, as Ipswich Town and Swansea City certainly have eyes for one.
Teenage prospect Stephen Mfuni is a reported target for the Championship sides as they have seen loan approaches turned down by Manchester City. The reasons for the same have been unclear, but there are plenty of mitigating factors that Pep Guardiola’s side might consider.
For starters, the likely reason might be that Guardiola and his coaching staff view the 17-year-old wonderkid as very close to being a member of their first team. However, there have been no signs of him training or featuring for the main group anytime soon.
Having let Vitor Reis join Girona on loan, Guardiola might view Mfuni as an option to call up to his first team squad. However, Manchester City currently have plenty of options in their defensive setup, meaning the reasons are not about playing time for the 17-year-old wonderkid.
Manchester City are protecting Stephen Mfuni
While a loan switch to one of the Championship sides may have been a decent decision to make with regards to Mfuni’s future, Manchester City are protecting their young talent. A left-footed defender is considered a key commodity in English football these days, and the club are prioritising the 17-year-old wonderkid’s development internally rather than away from the club.
The ideal route for the teenager would be to reach closer to the first team squad, and then think about a loan move next summer. For now, the club seems to have made their decision to keep the 17-year-old wonderkid in their setup, which will have come as a disappointment for the likes of Ipswich Town and Swansea City.