Manchester City have confirmed the departure of three players inside 24 hours, with defender Max Alleyne joining Championship side Burnley on a season-long loan. The head coach Enzo Maresca continues to trim his squad ahead of the new campaign.
Alleyne, 21, follows goalkeeper Pierce Charles and striker Divin Mubama out of the Etihad Stadium exit door, with the trio all heading into England’s second tier for the 2026-27 season.
Charles has joined QPR on loan, while Mubama has sealed a switch to Southampton, according to Manchester Evening News.
Alleyne returns to Championship after Watford stint
Alleyne, who came through City’s academy after arriving from Southampton in 2021, spent the first half of last season on loan at Watford before an injury crisis in Pep Guardiola’s old squad forced his recall in January.
He went on to make seven senior appearances in all competitions, scoring during a 10-1 FA Cup rout of Exeter.
The move to Turf Moor is a straight loan with no option to buy, meaning Alleyne is due back at City for the 2027-28 season.
Speaking after the switch was finalised, the defender admitted he had been tracking Burnley’s interest for some time.
“I’m so buzzing to be here,” Alleyne said, according to comments carried by Manchester Evening News.
Burnley begin their Championship campaign at home to fellow relegated side West Ham United on Sunday, and Alleyne is expected to compete immediately for a starting berth in Nicky Hayen’s defence.
Charles and Mubama also head out on loan
Charles, who only joined City from Sheffield Wednesday earlier this summer, has been sent straight back into the Championship with QPR, while Mubama’s move to Southampton represents a second consecutive loan spell in the division for the 21-year-old striker.
Mubama spent last season with Stoke City, scoring five goals in 28 appearances before a ligament injury, sustained in a challenge described by Stoke boss Mark Robins as “terrible,” disrupted the closing months of his campaign.
He arrived at City from West Ham in 2024, having been part of the Hammers side that lifted the FA Youth Cup, and marked his own first-team debut for City with a goal in an 8-0 FA Cup win over Salford in January 2025.
Reflecting on his move to St Mary’s, Mubama struck a confident tone.
“I believe in myself, one hundred per cent,” Mubama said.
Maresca continues summer rebuild
The exits form part of a wider squad overhaul under Maresca, who was appointed City boss this summer and has already sanctioned over £150m of incoming business, including the signing of England international Elliot Anderson.
With limited first-team opportunities likely for City’s fringe and academy talent in the short term, the Italian has opted to loan out several of his younger prospects to gain regular senior football elsewhere.
Fabrizio Romano, who first reported the Alleyne deal, described it as a “straight loan” arrangement with “no buy option clause included,” confirming the defender would return to City in June 2027.
City’s focus now turns to the pitch, with Maresca preparing his side for the Community Shield against Arsenal on Sunday, the traditional curtain-raiser to the new English football season.
The head coach has spoken previously of wanting a leaner, more competitive squad, and further departures are not being ruled out before the transfer window closes.
