The future of Rico Lewis at Manchester City has been up in the air throughout the current transfer window.
Following the departure of Kyle Walker in January, midfielder Matheus Nunes was chosen to play at right-back over the 20-year-old and having been left out of the FA Cup final squad in May, questions were raised over his future at the Etihad Stadium.
It was reported at the start of July that Man City had begun talks with Lewis over a contract extension, but an agreement was never reached, and as a result, that opened the door for other clubs to move for the defender.
Nottingham Forest expressed their interest in Lewis recently, and the Man City star has now made a final decision on his future.
Rico Lewis with a smile on his face during Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester City.
Photo by Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images
Rico Lewis set to sign a five-year deal at Man City
Nottingham Forest are willing to double Lewis’ current salary to encourage him to move to the City Ground, with Chelsea another club showing interest in the Man City star.
The 20-year-old impressed in City’s recent pre-season clash with Palermo, which carried into the opening weekend of the Premier League, as the right-back grabbed an assist against Wolves.
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After the contest at Molineux, Lewis said that he wants to stay at Man City, and those words have proven true, as the defender is set to sign a new five-year deal at the Etihad Stadium, reports the Daily Mail.
The report states that negotiations over an extension accelerated quickly early this week after the right-back impressed against Wolves, with a conversation with Pep Guardiola proving crucial amid Nottingham Forest’s pursuit.
Lewis will receive an increase on his current salary with his new deal, keeping him at Manchester City until 2030.
Rico Lewis playing for Manchester City v Wydad AC.
Photo by Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images
Manchester City still need to sell players
With Lewis staying, Man City will now turn to other players to offload in their attempt to reduce the size of Guardiola’s squad.
According to the Daily Mail, Galatasaray are still working on signing Manuel Akanji, who have sent representatives to the UK to try and get a deal over the line.
The Turkish club are also interested in Ederson, but the two clubs have yet to agree on a transfer fee. This is a deal that the Premier League side will want to get done fast, as they will need to replace the Brazilian, and there is not much time left in the transfer window.
Callum Doyle is also close to completing a switch to Wrexham for £8m, a package thought to start with an initial £5m payment, and will increase with add-ons.
There are also questions around the future of Ilkay Gundogan and Nathan Ake after the duo did not play against Wolves, but only time will tell who will depart Man City over the coming days.