Manchester City blocked by UEFA over transfers involving fellow Champions League club | OneFootball

UEFA have ruled that Manchester City and their City Football Group sister club Girona must not engage with inter-club transfer activity between set dates.

The futures of both clubs and their fate in the forthcoming season were thrown into doubt at the end of the last campaign, with City Football Group’s prized assets having both qualified for the UEFA Champions League tournament in 2024/25.

The two clubs coming under the same ownership and competing in one European competition created a potential conflict with UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules, with Girona and Manchester City forced into changes of their ownership in order to compete.

Following dialogue, the shares held in Girona are confirmed to have been transferred to independent trustees “through a blind trust structure established under the supervision of the CFCB”, while the measure will only apply to the forthcoming 2024/25 campaign.

However, following the conclusion of such a matter, a separate agreement has now been struck that will concern the individual playing squads at both Manchester City and Girona for the upcoming campaign.

As confirmed by UEFA on Friday, it has been agreed that Manchester City will not be permitted to transfer players to or from their sister club Girona until September 2025, including the summer transfer window of 2025.

Despite the ruling, the report does clarify that Manchester City will still be permitted to sign Girona’s on-loan winger Savio this summer, with that deal involving the Premier League champions and ESTAC Troyes, who have not qualified for Champions League football.

City and Girona are known to have exchanged multiple players over the last few seasons, with the most-recent deal seeing Brazil international Yan Couto star at the La Liga side on-loan from the Etihad Stadium.

Recent reports also suggested that James McAtee could be of interest to Míchel and Girona recruitment bosses, however the latest ruling from UEFA is likely to block temporary agreements alongside permanent moves.