Celtic 'lead chase' for Man City starlet Jahmai Simpson-Pusey | OneFootball

Celtic are in pole position to land Manchester City defender Jahmai Simpson-Pusey on loan for the 2025/26 season, according to the Manchester Evening News.

The Scottish champions are reportedly ahead of several Championship clubs in their pursuit of the highly-rated 19-year-old, who enjoyed a breakthrough campaign last year. Simpson-Pusey made his senior debut under Pep Guardiola and featured in the Champions League before injury curtailed his progress.

Having recovered, the centre-back starred for City’s Under-21s, helping them clinch the Premier League 2 title under coach Ben Wilkinson and winning the PL2 Player of the Season award — the first defender to do so.

Simpson-Pusey is among several City academy products expected to head out on loan this summer as the club seeks to give its emerging talents regular senior football. His potential move to Celtic would follow a well-trodden path, with former City players like Jason Denayer and Patrick Roberts benefiting from spells at Parkhead.

The MEN also reports that interest in City’s youth ranks is intensifying. Farid Alfa-Ruprecht has already joined Bayer Leverkusen in a £5m deal, while Max Alleyne, Kaden Braithwaite and Lakyle Samuel are all attracting attention from clubs keen to secure loan agreements.

City face further decisions regarding the futures of Sverre Nypan, Claudio Echeverri and Vitor Reis, as Guardiola and his staff look to shape both the first-team and development squads for the new season.

For Celtic, the potential arrival of Simpson-Pusey represents a significant boost as they prepare for domestic title defence and European competition.

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