Manchester City agreed multi-million transfer with Championship club in January – Deal collapsed due to play-style fears | OneFootball

A multi-million transfer agreed upon by Manchester City in January ultimately collapsed due to fears over the buying club’s playing style, according to a new report.

While it was transfer business concerning arrivals into the Etihad Stadium that grabbed the headlines throughout the recent winter transfer window, and understandably so, there was plenty of activity in the way of potential and confirmed departures.

City commanded widespread interest in a number of players within their first-team set-up during the January market, and particularly when it came to the futures of some of their younger stars.

Nico O’Reilly is understood to have been a big-money target for Chelsea as the west London side aimed to replicate the success seen through Cole Palmer, while James McAtee attracted attention from Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen.

Neither of those deals progressed into anything serious nor was a move completed or negotiated to any serious extent, however the future of fellow academy graduate Jacob Wright did come to a conclusion, albeit via a fight among clubs in England’s second tier.

According to the information of The Telegraph’s John Percy, Manchester City and Derby County agreed upon a £2 million deal for highly-rated and versatile midfielder, Jacob Wright in mid-January.

It is revealed that the England youth international was also expected for a medical with the Championship club, only for the entire transfer to collapse amid fears from the hierarchy at the Etihad Stadium over Wright’s suitability for the style of football at Pride Park.

Derby were then reportedly left stunned when the 19-year-old agreed a loan move to Championship rivals Norwich City for the remainder of the season, in a deal that includes a £5 million option to buy.

Jacob Wright had previously spoken about the lure of leaving Manchester City on a loan deal to further progress his own individual career, but ultimately felt the draw of working alongside some of the best players in the world for longer was too good to reject last summer.

“There was obviously temptation (to leave on loan) – there always is going to be – but when Pep Guardiola and staff around him want you to stay and be around that first team there’s not much of a choice,” Wright said in October.

He continued, “There’s no temptation any longer when you get information they want you to stay and be around because they see you as someone that could be around it. The temptation went out the window as soon as I heard that.”

During the first-half of the ongoing season, Wright featured in both of Manchester City’s Carabao Cup clashes against Watford at home and Tottenham away, whilst also joining the matchday squad for numerous Premier League and UEFA Champions League encounters.