• Juma Bah joined Man City in January 2025 and has been out on loan twice, with Lens & Nice

• Defender likely to join City on their pre-season tour of Asia & Maresca will evaluate the situation

• Stade Brest interested in the 20-year-old, who is contracted at the Etihad Stadium till 2031

The future of Manchester City defender Juma Bah has been in doubt this summer and there is unlikely to be any clarity on his situation anytime soon, as per reports in France.

The centre-back joined Pep Guardiola‘s side in January 2025 and immediately went back out on loan to RC Lens in Ligue 1 but as he returns to his parent club later this month, Bah will return under the eye of the new City boss Enzo Maresca.

Advertisement

Maresca was announced as Guardiola’s successor at the end of June with a contract valid until 2029 and will lead the Blues head-first into an unknown, exciting and perhaps apprehensive era at the Etihad Stadium.

Juma Bah admits Manchester City “dream” after stellar full Ligue 1 debut for Lens

It is understood that Maresca will want to take a closer look at Bah’s game and evaluate whether or not he would like the central defender to stay at the club for the 2026-27 season or move elsewhere on loan.

Bah was part of the OGC Nice squad that narrowly avoided relegation to France’s second division last season, having overcome Ligue 2 side AS Saint-Etienne in a play-off final.

Stade Brest Interested in Bah but Maresca Will Decide on Whether to Hit or Twist

Despite Nice’s struggles, the City defender caught the eye of many Ligue 1 sides, including Stade Brest, who believe Bah’s profile and experience make him an ideal fit for their project, according to Jeunes Footeux, with information translated and relayed by Sport Witness.

Advertisement

Maresca will take the majority of City’s registered professional players on their pre-season tour of Asia, where they will face the likes of Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid before getting their Premier League campaign underway at home against Bournemouth next month.

The tour will be key for the Italian to decide whether to include the centre-back in his plans next season or sanction a move, for which it will likely be a loan deal to a French or English side.

Business Flying in East Manchester After £116M Anderson Move

City have already completed several deals this summer following the departures of John Stones, Bernardo Silva and Nathan Ake at the expiration of their contracts.

Elliot Anderson has been the headline for the majority of the summer transfer window, and his deal was confirmed just under two weeks ago, moving from Nottingham Forest to City for £116 million.

Advertisement

Additionally, City have shown interest in many talents across Europe, including Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde, LOSC Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi and ChelseaMalo Gusto.

There could still be departures pending, with the futures of Jack Grealish, Kalvin Phillips, and Tijjani Reijnders unknown, whereas Omar Marmoush and Mateo Kovacic are unlikely to be City players this time next season.