Hugo Viana remains big fan of Man City centre-back amid ‘plenty of interest’ in loan transfer | OneFootball

Juma Bah is emerging back onto the European transfer market this summer as the Manchester City defender attracts fresh loan interest, as per a new report.

Bah joined City from Real Valladolid in January 2025, arriving as part of the same defensive overhaul that brought in Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis, though unlike that pair he was immediately sent out to continue his development elsewhere.

The Sierra Leone international spent the second half of that season on loan at RC Lens before moving to OGC Nice last summer in search of regular senior football and a taste of the UEFA Champions League.

His campaign in Ligue 1 proved a mixed one, with limited opportunities prompting interest from Crystal Palace and Brentford in the January window, while City themselves were reported to have placed Bah among a shortlist of players open to departing the club this summer.

With his loan at Nice now concluded and his long-term Manchester City future still undecided, fresh transfer chatter has emerged over where the 20-year-old will spend next season.

Plenty of loan interest, but Viana remains a ‘big fan’

According to a new report, City have already received plenty of interest in arranging a fresh loan move for Bah this summer, with several clubs across Europe registering their attention before the transfer window has even fully opened.

Despite the growing external interest, City sporting director Hugo Viana is said to remain a ‘big fan’ of the centre-back, having been central to his original recruitment from Real Valladolid in January 2025.

The update suggests City’s stance on Bah has not been dampened by his underwhelming season in France, with Viana still viewing the towering defender as a long-term project worth persevering with rather than a player to be cashed in on this summer.

What does this mean for Juma Bah’s Manchester City future?

Bah’s situation mirrors that of several young City defenders being eased toward the first team through loan exposure rather than immediate integration, with Reis following a similar pathway through Girona ahead of his own expected recall this summer.

Where Bah ultimately ends up will likely hinge on the guaranteed playing time on offer, given City’s repeated insistence in previous loan negotiations – including with Brentford in January – that his next move must come with assurances over regular senior football.

City’s defensive picture for 2026-27 remains in flux regardless, with John Stones already gone and Ruben Dias the subject of growing transfer speculation from Real Madrid, meaning Bah’s long-term path back to the Etihad Stadium could yet be shaped by departures elsewhere in the squad.

Whether Viana’s continued backing translates into another loan elsewhere or a more concrete role in incoming Blues manager Enzo Maresca‘s plans down the line remains to be seen, but for now Bah’s situation looks set to rumble on as one of City’s more understated storylines of the summer.