Manchester City left-back joins Bristol City after 12 years in development | OneFootball

One of Manchester City’s exciting academy products, Seb Naylor has now joined Championship side Bristol City on a three-and-a-half-year deal. 

The 20-year-old put pen to paper with the Championship side following 12 years in the north-west, where he won the FA Youth Cup in 2023/24 only two years after signing scholarship terms with the club.

Having impressed in the Under-18s squad, Naylor was moved into the Elite Development Squad in 2024 and featured 19 times in a season where Manchester City won the Premier League 2 title ahead of Fulham and Chelsea.  

This season, Naylor played 10 times for City’s Under-21 team alongside other up-and-coming talents such as Stephen Mfuni, Mahamadou Sangare and Justin Oboavwoduo, leaving with the intention to gain first team experience and is sought as the perfecting signing for the Robins. 

He announced his exit via Instagram when he posted a series of photos including one of him at the City training ground signing his first contract at the age of eight, him holding the FA Youth Trophy and another with Guardiola on the training pitch.

Underneath the pictures, he wrote, “After 14 years at this amazing club, it’s time for me to move on. I will be forever grateful to the club, staff and players for helping me to become the person and player I am today. 

“I have made some friends for life and spent time with people who have made this journey special. Thank you @mancity”

Bristol City are currently ninth in the second division and Naylor – who will wear the number 24 for the Robins – revealed his excitement to play for the club to their official website, “Everyone’s made me feel so welcome, it is such a homely place.

“All the boys are lovely, and I had a good chat with the manager yesterday and it’ll be great to get on the grass training with him.”

Bristol City’s technical director, Brian Tinnon added, “Seb’s an exciting young player who we’re looking forward to seeing develop over the next few years.

“He has all the qualities we look for in a player and has the right personality and drive to fit into the squad.”