Manchester City reach agreement on new contract and shirt number with breakthrough first-team star | OneFootball

Nico O’Reilly and Manchester City have reached an agreement on a new contract for the 20-year-old amid widespread interest in his services from across Europe.

After several weeks of discussions behind the scenes, City have managed to secure the long-term future of one of their most promising academy graduates, following uncertainty earlier in the summer regarding the player’s next steps.

The natural attacking midfielder, who played an integral role at left-back within Pep Guardiola’s first-team throughout last season, has long been regarded as a standout within the youth setup.

O’Reilly’s leadership at academy level, coupled with consistent goals and assists and standout performances from the middle of the park, quickly elevated him into contention for senior involvement during the 2024/25 campaign.

Manchester City’s coaching staff have remained firm believers in O’Reilly’s potential, and his increased involvement in 2025 thus far, including strong performances away from his natural position, is seen as a sign of the club’s confidence in him being part of the squad this season.

Now, according to the information of Fabrizio Romano, Manchester City and Nico O’Reilly have agreed upon a new contract for the versatile 20-year-old midfielder, as well as a new shirt number in place for the player.

As part of the process towards agreeing upon a new deal with the player, it is revealed that City had also rejected two bids from Bayer Leverkusen, as well as turning down approaches from Premier League clubs.

The new contract not only strengthens Manchester City’s defensive and midfield options heading into a busy 2025/26 calendar but also reflects the wider focus at the club on developing and securing top-tier academy talent.

With fellow youth prospects like Divine Mukasa, Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, and Max Alleyne also attracting attention, Nico O’Reilly’s decision could mark the beginning of a new wave of academy breakthroughs for the Premier League giants.

Looking ahead, it remains to be seen how many first-team opportunities Nico O’Reilly will be afforded this season, especially with established figures like Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva, and new signing Tijjani Reijnders ahead in the midfield pecking order, and Rayan Ait-Nouri bolstering the left-sided full-back options.

However, with Pep Guardiola often leaning on versatile, technically gifted midfielders – and the possibility of rotation across multiple competitions – O’Reilly could yet emerge as a crucial squad figure by the end of the campaign.

With the player now tied down to a new deal and his senior shirt number decided albeit unconfirmed at this stage, Manchester City fans may not have to wait long before seeing Nico O’Reilly earn consistent senior Etihad Stadium appearances.