Another young Blue heads out the door?
Juma Bah is the latest Manchester City youngster to catch the eye of Ipswich Town, with the Championship club reportedly weighing up a move for the Sierra Leone international.
The Tractor Boys have been busy this summer, and according to journalist Stuart Watson, they are not done yet. Bah, who arrived at the Etihad earlier this year after making a name for himself in European football, is now on their radar.
It is not hard to see why Ipswich fancy him. The defender cuts an imposing figure, the kind of physical presence that tends to translate well to the rough and tumble of the Championship. For City, though, the appeal is rather different.
A loan — and let's be clear, there is no indication at this stage that a deal is close — would fit the club's well-worn template for developing young talent. Regular senior football away from the Etihad, the thinking goes, could accelerate his progression before he returns to compete for a place in Enzo Maresca's squad.
A familiar path
It is a path City have trodden many times before. Send a promising youngster out, let him learn his trade in a side where he will actually play, and hope he comes back a more complete player. Bah, who would likely face limited opportunities in the senior squad this season, fits that profile perfectly.
Ipswich, for their part, are making no secret of their intentions. Manager Gary O'Neil and chief executive Mark Ashton have both stated the club plans to remain active in the transfer market before the window shuts, with further arrivals expected.
Whether Bah ends up being one of them remains to be seen. The link, for now, represents little more than an opportunity for Ipswich to explore. But with City's production line of young defenders showing no signs of slowing, do not be surprised if this one develops legs before the deadline.