Manchester City have completed their fourth piece of business in this January transfer window as Juma Bah joins the club after Khusanov, Reis and Marmoush. But the Sierra Leone centre-back will have to wait before playing with the Sky Blues outfit as he will be loaned out to Lens until the end of the season.

"Juma Bah has joined RC Lens on loan until the end of the season, having completed his registration with Manchester City. The 18-year-old central defender moves to Ligue 1 after a spell in Spain with Real Valladolid," reads a statement from the English side.

The move sparked controversies as Bah facilitated his transfer to the defending Premier League champions by paying €6 million to terminate his Real Valladolid contract, a significantly lower amount than what the Spaniards would've expected to receive for the player.

Valladolid threatened to take matters to court as they consider that Man City is "behind the player's decision and appears to have advised the player to take this route". However, there has been no follow-up from the club since releasing the statement on January 22.

Bah has been one of Valladolid's few pleasant surprises this season, luring interest from Pep Guardiola's side with only 13 appearances under his belt for the 'Blanquivioletas' senior team. He will now begin his journey playing in the Ligue 1 before kicking off his career with Man City in the upcoming term.

January 27, 2025

A. Juma

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