Four Manchester City loan exits completed on transfer deadline day you may have missed | OneFootball

Manchester City signed off on four loan deals on transfer deadline day that may have been missed amid the various sagas surrounding first-team stars.

While much of the attention on deadline day centred around the future of senior names, City’s Academy and wider squad also saw significant movement. As part of the club’s ongoing development model, a number of highly-regarded young players secured temporary exits.

The Etihad Stadium has become known for carefully structuring such moves, balancing the demands of player development with the competitive needs of their loan destinations.

Recent weeks have already seen notable deals finalised, including Luca Fletcher’s move to Ipswich Town and Romario Collins’ arrival from Sheffield Wednesday as part of the club’s continuing focus on youth.

On deadline day itself, however, Manchester City signed off on a quartet of further deals, spanning Scotland, the Championship, and deeper into the English Football League structure.

This wave of exits continues a wider pattern seen in recent seasons, with City increasingly utilising the loan system as a bridge between youth football and the senior game. Players like James Trafford and James McAtee previously benefitted from similar strategies before being integrated further into City’s long-term plans.

With transfer deadline day now complete for clubs in England wanting to welcome in business to their respective squads, four additional deals were signed off by Manchester City in addition to Manuel Akanji’s temporary move to Inter.

Central midfielder Mahamadou Susoho has made the move north by joining Scottish Premiership outfit Livingston for the duration of the 2025/26 season, while Lakyle Samuel will spend the campaign at League Two side Bromley.

Highly-rated striker Will Dickson, who returned to Manchester City in the summer off the back of a loan spell with Motherwell in Scotland, has now joined League Two side Chesterfield on a loan deal that runs until 5 January, 2026.

As for Burkina Faso international right-back Issa Kabore, the 24-year-old embarked on his seventh loan spell away from Manchester City by joining Championship newcomers Wrexham for the season.

One deal that failed to develop into an official move was Manchester City forward Jaden Heskey’s proposed switch to Championship side Sheffield Wednesday, despite reports elsewhere.

For City, the destinations reflect carefully chosen environments for each player. Samuel’s switch to Bromley will provide a stern physical challenge, while Susoho will test himself in Scotland’s top-flight after gaining experience with Peterborough.

Kabore, already an experienced loanee, now joins Wrexham as they prepare for life in the second tier of English football, where his versatility and international pedigree could prove invaluable.

Meanwhile, Dickson’s short-term spell at Chesterfield allows him to showcase his finishing ability in a competitive setting before perhaps returning to Manchester in January, or heading out into a more challenging environment once again on loan.

The seemingly failed move for Jaden Heskey may yet be revisited in future windows, but for now the striker remains part of City’s Academy setup. His situation mirrors that of several City youngsters whose long-term plans remain under active consideration by Etihad officials.