Manchester City defender makes decision on season-long Ligue 1 loan move | OneFootball

Juma Bah is expected to return to France and move to OGC Nice on loan for the 2025-26 campaign in the coming months, as per a new report.

The Sierra Leonean teenager joined Manchester City in January and was loaned out to RC Lens for the second half of the recent season, making 10 appearances for the French outfit before the end of his stint.

Bah is on a long-term contract at the Etihad Stadium and with Pep Guardiola heavily stocked in central defence, it remains unlikely that the 19-year-old will get a look into the first-team anytime soon.

A loan move to progress his development and gain first-team football experience seems the best option for the centre-half, who has also attracted interest from Olympique Lyonnais in recent weeks.

City signed Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis in January to bolster their defensive options amidst a personnel crisis in the position, with Pep Guardiola needing urgent cover midway through his most difficult season as a manager.

Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji and John Stones returned to fitness in the closing weeks of the Premier League campaign, with the former two getting some minutes but Stones still recovering from a hamstring injury sustained in February.

Stones has been linked with a possible departure this summer as Manchester City look to trim their squad for the new campaign, but the 31-year-old has indicated he wants to stay as he enters the final 12 months of his contract.

Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol formed an excellent pairing in central defence in the business end of the season, with Gvardiol moving to his preferred centre-half position following the emergence of academy graduate Nico O’Reilly.

L’Equipe are reporting that Manchester City and OGC Nice are closing in on agreeing a season-long loan for Bah, who is set to return to France after a promising six months or so with RC Lens last term.

The opportunity to play in the UEFA Champions League next season is an obvious attraction for Bah, who would be hoping that Nice can secure qualification to the group-stage phase from their qualifying games after a fourth-place Ligue 1 finish last season.

Manchester City have added significant firepower to their ranks already this summer, signing the quartet of Rayan Ait-Nouri, Marcus Bettinelli, Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki in the first 10 days of June – in time for the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup.

The 2023 treble winners are still expected to return to the market as they search for a new right-back, with Kyle Walker set to leave the club after returning from loan at AC Milan as he enters the last year of his contract.