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Wednesday, February 4, 2026
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Full list of 20 players who left and joined Man City in January revealed

Who are the players who left Man City in January as the club continued to shape their squad with intent during the window, adding fresh talent and allowing several familiar faces to seek opportunities elsewhere.

The last year has been one of constant movement at the Etihad Stadium and the mid-season market offered another chance for the Sky Blues to refine their options.

Pep Guardiola’s side remain involved in four competitions and the club’s hierarchy have acted decisively to ensure the manager has the depth required for the months ahead.

Sporting director Hugo Viana, experiencing his first winter window in charge of recruitment, targeted proven Premier League performers and moved quickly to secure them ahead of domestic rivals.

At the same time, a number of established names have departed permanently while a large group of young individuals were among the players who left Man City in January . Many of them were sent out on loan to continue their development.

The result is a reshaped squad that reflects both immediate ambition and long-term planning.

Manchester City’s strategic spending continues

City’s headline business came in the form of two eye-catching signings from within the English top flight.

Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo arrived for £62.5 million after establishing himself as one of the division’s most dangerous attackers.

The Ghana international’s pace and direct style offer Guardiola a different option across the front line, and the club fought off interest from several leading sides to complete the deal early in the window.

Defensive reinforcement followed with the capture of Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace for £20 million.

The England centre-back had been linked with a host of clubs over the past two seasons and City moved swiftly to add his leadership and composure to an already impressive back line.

His ability to play out from defence fits naturally with Guardiola’s philosophy and he is expected to compete immediately for a starting role.

Two further additions were effectively internal. Youngsters Max Alleyne and Sverre Nypan were recalled from loan spells at Watford and Middlesbrough respectively, giving the manager extra depth for the second half of the campaign.

Both players impressed during their time away and will now look to force their way into first-team contention.

Many top and young talents left Man City

While new faces arrived, the departure lounge at the Etihad was equally busy. The most notable exit saw Oscar Bobb join Fulham for £27 million, bringing an end to a promising but injury-interrupted spell in Manchester.

Goalkeeper Stefan Ortega also moved on, leaving for Nottingham Forest on a free transfer after several seasons as a dependable deputy.

Further permanent deals included Mahamadou Susoho’s £400,000 switch to Turkish side Kocaelispor and free transfers for Seb Naylor to Bristol City and Justin Oboavwoduo to Juventus.

Young defender Will Dickson joined Chesterfield for an undisclosed fee, while Jadel Katongo completed a move to Kayserispor, continuing the theme of City allowing academy graduates to pursue regular senior football elsewhere.

Loan moves once again formed a major part of the club’s strategy. Kalvin Phillips headed to Sheffield United on a six-month agreement as he seeks to reignite his top-level career after struggling for minutes at City.

Argentine prospect Claudio Echeverri will spend the remainder of the season with Girona, a familiar destination for players within the City Football Group network.

Divine Mukasa was also among the players who left Man City in January. He was linked up with Leicester City, Stephen Mfuni returned to Watford, and Jahmai Simpson-Pusey travelled to Germany to join FC Koln.

Championship clubs were particularly active in taking City youngsters, with Jaden Heskey and Joel Ndala both signing for Sheffield Wednesday, Emilio Lawrence moving to Luton Town and Isaac Smith joining Barnsley.

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