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Published February 3, 2025 1:17pm Updated February 3, 2025 1:17pm
Chelsea have approached Manchester City over a deal to sign wonderkid Nico O’Reilly, who ‘wowed’ Pep Guardiola behind the scenes in training.
The Blues signed Cole Palmer from City in 2023 and now want to bring in another young English talent before the winter transfer window closes today.
‘Chelsea keep working on [a] new midfielder with enquiry made to Man City for 2005 born midfielder Nico O’Reilly,’ Fabrizio Romano posted on X.
The football transfers expert added: ‘City don’t want to lose future control on the player – [it is] not an easy deal.’
City manager Guardiola was left massively impressed with O’Reilly following his superb pre-season performance against Barcelona in the summer.
‘He had a long, long injury last season,’ Guardiola said about the England U20 international. ‘He came back in the middle of last season and trained with us and I said, ‘Wow’.
‘This guy has good things. From corners, good header, so strong in the duels, in the small spaces he moves well.
‘As an attacking midfielder, you will see him arrive [in the box], he can play the dual position, holding midfielder, attacking midfielder. It’s because of the academy, we are blessed to have these players.’
The bad news for Chelsea is that City have already knocked back the Blues’ approach for O’Reilly and have no desire to let him leave the Etihad without inserting a buy-back clause, according to the Manchester Evening News.
O’Reilly made his senior debut for City in the Community Shield win over Manchester United on penalties at the start of the 2024-25 campaign.
He’s played six games for City to date, registering his first goal for the club in the 8-0 FA Cup victory over Salford City last month.
Speaking after City’s win over Salford, Guardiola said: ‘[O’Reilly] played for the first time in his life at left-back and played really, really good.
‘He made a good goal. He has the conditions to play holding midfielder, but I think maybe he doesn’t believe it completely – he’s an attacking midfielder… In holding midfield, you have more spaces – his physicality for long balls and his pace. He’s another talent we trust a lot.’
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