How Man City have responded to Ipswich Town and Swansea City’s transfer bids for Stephen Mfuni | OneFootball

Manchester City have rejected bids from both Ipswich Town and Swansea City for up and coming young defender who's attracting a lot of attention.

Premier League giants Manchester City have rejected loan bids from both Ipswich Town and Swansea City for up-and-coming young defender Stephen Mfuni.

It's been a mixed start to the new season for both the Swans and the Tractor Boys.

The former have picked up seven points from their first four matches and sit just below the play-off places, whilst Ipswich - who were among the pre-season favourites for a quick return to the Premier League - have started slowly, with just three draws and a defeat from their opening fixtures.

Both clubs are said to have been interested in the aforementioned Mfuni, a 17-year-old left-sided defender who's come up through the academy system at Manchester City, but it now seems that both clubs will have to look elsewhere should they wish to bring a young defender through for the new season in this particular transfer window.

Loan bids for Stephen Mfuni from Ipswich Town and Swansea City rejected by Manchester City

Journalist Fabrizio Romano has posted on social media platform X that Manchester City have rejected bids from both Ipswich Town and Swansea City to take Stephen Mfuni to their respective clubs.

Romano confirms that both clubs had made offers to the Etihad Stadium outfit to loan the young defender, but that City have rejected these offers because they "trust him for present and long-term" - even though there is currently plenty of competition for places at centre-back under Pep Guardiola.

It may be the case that City feel this way, but Mfuni hasn't appeared anywhere near their first team yet this season in the Premier League.

He was neither a starter nor on the bench for their first two League matches of the season against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur, with his outings so far coming in under-21's action in the Premier League 2 and also the EFL Trophy.

Mfuni was a regular fixture in City's under-18's last season in the UEFA Youth League, as well as the team that got all the way to the FA Youth Cup final, but it appears that the North West club want to keep the teen in their ranks.

Stephen Mfuni may not be ready for Championship football - Pep Guardiola could be protecting the Man City talent

There's no doubting Mfuni's talent - The Guardian put him among their Next Generation 2024 list of the twenty best young talents for that year, describing him as having "height, a wiry physique and ball-playing smarts." He's also already been capped by England at Under-16 and Under-17 levels, so there's something there.

At 17 years of age, the defender is now set to stay at The Etihad Stadium for at least the first half of this season, and this will be a disappointment to both clubs that had been chasing his signature.

Left-sided defenders have been extremely popular for some time, now. The Premier League itself commented on their "rise" more than two years ago.

But if either Swansea or Ipswich are in the market to fill this particular position before the closure of the summer transfer window on Monday, it's clear that they're going to have to look elsewhere.

It may be a case that Mfuni isn't ready for Championship football anyway. He's still only 17 years of age and you will rarely see loanees of that age head to the second tier of English football, and a year in City's under-21's may do him the world of good ahead of a potential temporary exit next summer.