Manchester City midfielder ends 15-year stay with seven-figure exit from Etihad Stadium | OneFootball

Lewis Fiorini has brought an end to a 15-year association with Manchester City by joining League One side Stockport County on a permanent deal.

The Scotland youth international’s first permanent steps into the senior men’s game follows a succession of loan deals away from Manchester City over the years, as well as battles with injury frustrations.

Fiorini has had experiences outside of the English game too, with his first loan agreement away from the Etihad Stadium being a season operating in the Netherlands with NAC Breda in 2020/21.

That experience was then followed up by temporary spells with Lincoln City, Blackpool, and most recently at Charlton Athletic.

In his next step in the senior men’s game, Stockport County have this week announced the permanent signing of Lewis Fiorini from Manchester City on a contract until 2027, bringing an end to a 15-year association with the current Premier League champions.

According to the information of journalist Jack Gaughan, the deal is worth an initial transfer fee of £300,000, potentially rising to £1 million through add-ons, whilst it is further reported via Mike Minay that Manchester City have a ‘high’ sell-on clause attached to the deal.

In an emotional farewell post on social media in light of the official announcement, Fiorini wrote, “15 years since arriving as a little boy, today is the day my time at the club is over. I can’t thank the club enough for giving me the opportunity to develop as a player and for giving me the best chance to be successful in my career.”

Stockport County’s first-team manager, Dave Challinor reacted, “Lewis is another player that we’ve had a longstanding interest in trying to bring in, so to finally have him is really pleasing.

“He had a frustrating season last year with some injuries but he’s a player with a really high ceiling and huge potential, who has trained with and learned from the best over his time at Manchester City.”

Challinor continued, “Technically he is fantastic, and he will undoubtedly be a huge addition to our squad. For a young player to have the experience he has in the Championship, League One, international Football and in another country is rare, and we feel he can have a real impact over the next few years.”