Manchester City midfielder Charlie Gray is set to join League One side Wigan Athletic on loan, with a deal close to taking the 20-year-old to the Brick Community Stadium, according to the Manchester Evening News.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Max Chabot has completed his move to the Etihad club after spending the summer on trial.
Gray set for first taste of senior football
Gray, who has spent his entire career at Manchester City since joining the academy as a youngster, has never played a full senior season away from the club that developed him.
He made his first-team debut as a substitute in the Carabao Cup against Brentford in December 2025 and was named the Elite Development Squad’s Players’ Player of the Season for 2024-25, underlining the regard in which he is held at boyhood level.
A defensive-minded, ball-playing midfielder, Gray had been the subject of transfer interest from several clubs across Europe over the summer before agreeing a new contract at City in July. The move allowed manager Enzo Maresca to assess him during pre-season.
Having not forced his way into first-team contention under the new head coach, a loan away from the Etihad now looks the logical next step in his development.
Wigan, managed by Gary Caldwell, have been busy in the loan market this summer, with reported interest already in Newcastle’s Reggie Walsh and Brighton’s Luke Harris.
Should the Gray deal be completed, it would represent a third significant loan addition to the Latics’ midfield as they push for promotion from League One.
For Gray, regular first-team football at a club close to his native Manchester offers a natural bridge between academy football and the senior game. Wigan are expected to lean on his composure and passing range from a holding role.
Chabot completes switch after successful trial
City have also confirmed the permanent signing of Max-Edgar Chabot, the 18-year-old French goalkeeper who spent the summer training with the club as a trialist before agreeing to sign.
Chabot arrives from Ligue 1 side Angers, where he had turned down a new contract before instead pursuing a move to Manchester.
The France youth international, who represented his country at the Under-17 World Cup, was drafted into City’s touring party for pre-season fixtures in Hong Kong and Seoul as cover, before the move was finalised.
Announcing the switch on social media, Chabot said it was “with immense pride I announce the signing of my first professional contract” with the club.
He added that it marked the fulfilment of a long-held ambition and thanking those who had supported him along the way.
With Gianluigi Donnarumma established as City’s first-choice goalkeeper and Marcus Bettinelli as his deputy, Chabot is expected to spend the coming season with City’s Under-21s or Under-18s as he continues his development.
Busy summer under Maresca
Both moves form part of a wider reshaping of Manchester City’s squad this summer under Enzo Maresca, who succeeded Pep Guardiola as head coach.
Maresca, who previously worked under Guardiola as his assistant and also coached City’s academy sides, has already overseen a number of first-team and academy-level changes since taking charge, with further business expected before the transfer window closes.
For City’s academy graduates, the message remains consistent: those not yet ready for regular first-team football will continue to be moved into senior environments elsewhere, while promising young talent from across Europe continues to be assessed for a route into the club’s famous development pathway.
