Manchester City have allowed teenage goalkeeper Oliver Whatmuff to join League One side Stockport County on loan for the 2026/27 season.
The 18-year-old, who signed professional terms at the Etihad in August 2025, has been the subject of considerable Football League interest after a breakthrough campaign that turned heads well beyond non-league circles.
Whatmuff spent last season with National League club Rochdale, keeping 18 clean sheets in 39 league appearances and earning a place in the National League Team of the Season. His campaign reached its high point in May when he produced a two-save penalty shootout performance in the play-off final at Wembley, helping Rochdale secure promotion to the Football League.
Having outgrown that level and featured for England Under-19s, City staff have moved to ensure he faces a stiffer test in League One.
Reunited with McNulty
Whatmuff now links up again with Jimmy McNulty, his former manager at Rochdale, who took charge at Edgeley Park on a three-year deal earlier this summer. McNulty led Rochdale to a remarkable 106-point promotion push last season and returns to a club he previously represented as a player.
“I’m absolutely delighted to bring Oliver to the club," McNulty told Stockport's official website. "Before working with him at my previous club, I believed he was an elite goalkeeper, and now after working with him for the season, that belief has only grown."
He added: "He’s a super talent, with a blend of attributes both in and out of possession which will really help the team. But what stands out even more is his mindset. He’s a winner. His mentality is way beyond his years. That’s what excites me about him the most."
McNulty also expressed gratitude to Manchester City for entrusting them with Whatmuff's development.
High hopes at Stockport
Stockport's head of goalkeeping, Ben Hinchliffe, also weighed in: "Ollie comes in off the back of a great season personally, and I am very much looking forward to working with him. He’s a very talented and driven young goalkeeper who can go on to play at the very highest level, so to secure his services is a great statement of intent."
With Stockport aiming to challenge at the sharp end of the League One table, Whatmuff is expected to be a guaranteed first-team figure and will face intense competitive scrutiny.
For City, this represents the next logical step for a player internally viewed as a future contender for a senior role at the Etihad — and perhaps the England national team further down the line.