What to become of the NCFC loaners?

Today at 03:28 AM

The last transfer window closed only 46 days ago but recruitment is a never-ending process, with clubs continuously looking to see where they need to prune their squads and where they need to invest.

The next transfer window opens on Thursday, June 12th and closes on Friday, August 29th, but before then City have decisions to make on the loan players that have come in and those returning to the club from external loans.

Here are those for whom a decision will need to be made:

Emmanuel Adegboyega

The young Irishman is having a good season on loan at Dundee United – at least until his recent red card – and looks a real prospect at centre-back. Will he be given a chance to compete for a first-team plan upon returning? Or will Ben Knapper decide to send him out on another loan?

Current contract expires: Unknown

Ken Aboh

An unsuccessful loan stint at Stevenage has been followed by what is, to date, an equally unsuccessful one at Colchester. So, will the young striker be the next in line to be released, just like his predecessor Tom Dickson-Peters?

Both players had shown lots of potential while in the academy but neither was able to replicate that same potential at the top level. Will Aboh be offered another loan opportunity next season? Or will it be a fond farewell?

Current contract expires June 2027

Archie Mair

He was loaned out again this season, to Motherwell, but it was cut short by a broken thumb. He’s another who has shown great potential,

The big question is, does Tony Roberts (City's head of goalkeeping) see a future for him at the club, or could he be the next Jon McCracken, who was released before he had a chance to prove himself in a City shirt?

Current contract expires in June 2025 (but may have a year option).

Dan Barden

The 24-year-old has 16 months left on his current deal and the very good news is he looks to have recovered fully from his serious illness. He had good reviews from Swindon manager Ian Holloway when he was on loan there, and only dropped down the pecking order when they signed a permanent keeper.

The ex-Arsenal academy player possibly needs to find a club that will see him as a number one in order to take his career forward.

Current contract expires June 2026.

Brad Hills

Another returning centre-back, who has had some good reviews from his loan at Stockport County, where he was voted their player of the month for February. He also had a good loan at Accrington last season and even made a couple of first-team appearances for City this term.

The game time he is getting and the good loan reviews suggest he may be given a chance to return next season.

Current contract expires June 2027.

Lewis Shipley

Another defender who was on loan at Accrington last season, with Hills, he also had a good loan and reportedly covered at centre-back on a few occasions.

This season, his loan at Cheltenham was less successful and he returned to Norwich in January. This one is a tricky decision for Knapper.

Current contract expires June 2025.

Jon Tomkinson

He had a successful loan last season at Bradford, but on his return from that loan, he never got a chance to prove himself under Thorup. As a result, he went out on loan to Ross County for the season.

He appears to have settled into their team but there is no obvious future for him at City given the amount of central defenders at the club who are ahead of him in the pecking order. So it appears he is either playing for a deal in Scotland or a lower league club, or maybe a return to the USA to play in the MLS.

Current contact expires June 2025.

Callum Doyle

This is his fourth loan away from his parent club Manchester City. He made a good impression at the other three – Sunderland, Coventry, and Leicester – just as he has done at City and looks a good fit in the system used by JHT.

Will Knapper and Thorup try for a permanent deal? Or possibly another loan for next season? Only time will tell.

Current (Man City) contract expires June 2028.

Lewis Dobbin

His shirt spell at City was his second loan of the season – his first at West Brom didn’t go to well – but until his injury, he had done well here and was improving all the time.

There are rumours that City are trying to negotiate a season-long loan for next season with a buy option. Interestingly, his current estimated transfer market value is just £2.5m.

Current (Aston Villa) contract expires June 2025 but with options.

Jacob Wright

When he arrived, the official line was that it was a loan with an option to buy, although since then that seems to have been a bit blurred.

Recent rumours suggest Swansea and Derby are back in for him, with Preston also reportedly interested. If the buy option, as originally reported, is a thing then a fee would need to be agreed with Manchester City and the player, and the finer details hammered out. Unless, of course, these were also part of the original deal.

JHT recently said that the final decision would rest with the player if he wanted to accept the deal. Figures quoted, but not confirmed, were £3m plus add-ons, which amount to £5m going to Manchester City.

Logic says that if he wasn’t going to accept the terms City offer then he wouldn’t have agreed to a loan deal, but was that based on the premise of a City promotion push?

Current (Man City) contract expires June 2026.