Premier League trio target versatile Manchester City midfielder for January transfer | OneFootball

Manchester City could face a stern challenge in retaining the services of Nico O’Reilly at the midway stage of the ongoing season, it is being reported.

Having emerged as one of the club’s most exciting academy products, O’Reilly has developed into a dependable figure for Pep Guardiola across positions having originally been nurtured as a central attacking midfielder, before his tactical flexibility saw him utilised at left-back last season.

The youngster’s energy, defensive work-rate, and awareness of Manchester City’s positional play caught the eye during his breakthrough campaign, with the 20-year-old’s debut coming in the Community Shield victory over Manchester United at Wembley Stadium.

O’Reilly followed up that outing with regular involvement in both domestic and European fixtures across 2024/25, and such a trajectory has unsurprisingly drawn attention from clubs abroad and within the Premier League.

According to a new report from CaughtOffside, Manchester City are facing serious January transfer window interest in Nico O’Reilly, who is claimed to be on the radar of clubs in the Premier League and elsewhere in Europe.

Among those interested, despite the player only recently agreeing to a new contract at the Etihad Stadium, are Bayer Leverkusen, Olympique Lyonnais, Leeds United, Nottingham Forest, and Brighton & Hove Albion.

However, for now it is stressed that it remains to be seen how likely a deal is, with Manchester City expected to be keen on keeping one of their prized-prospects, despite a new contract yet to be officially confirmed.

For Manchester City, the key question is whether Pep Guardiola sees O’Reilly as a long-term integral part of the first team or as a player who could be loaned out to accelerate development.

While City officials have often sanctioned temporary moves for young prospects within the City Football Group network, most recently including the likes of Vitor Reis to Giron and Claudio Echeverri to Bayer Leverkusen, O’Reilly’s regular senior involvement suggests they may prefer to keep him close.

Interest from Premier League rivals could offer O’Reilly the guarantee of more consistent top-flight minutes, but Manchester City’s reluctance to sell – especially after rejecting bids from Bayer Leverkusen earlier this year – makes a permanent deal unlikely.

A loan, however, could resurface as a compromise solution. With January fast approaching, much will hinge on Pep Guardiola’s plans for his squad depth and whether Manchester City’s hierarchy are prepared to resist mounting external pressure.

Should O’Reilly continue to impress when called upon, the Etihad Stadium club may have no choice but to hold firm and secure his future at the heart of their long-term project.