"GOODBYE OSCAR": FANS REACT TO OSCAR BOBB’S IMMINENT £35M FULHAM TRANSFER
Manchester City prepare for Oscar Bobb's £35m exit to Fulham as Marc Guehi prepares for his debut against Wolves this Saturday.
Looks like Oscar Bobb’s time at Manchester City is almost up. Reports say he’s on his way out in January, with Borussia Dortmund and Fulham both pushing hard for the 22-year-old forward.
Things just haven’t worked out for Bobb under Pep Guardiola this season. Recurring injuries since the start of 2025-26 haven’t helped, and now City are ready to let him leave in these final weeks of the transfer window. It’s tough, especially since Bobb came through the club’s academy, but that’s football.
Meanwhile, City have already moved to boost their attack. Antoine Semenyo just joined from Bournemouth, and they’ll need every bit of help to chase down Arsenal. Right now, they’re seven points back and fighting on four fronts. The squad’s in a bit of a rut—only two wins in their last seven matches. If they want to have any shot at catching Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, something has to change. Their last Premier League win was a scrappy one at Nottingham Forest back on December 27, and it’s been rough since.
Tuesday night didn’t help either. City lost 3-1 to Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League, which only raised more questions. To their credit, City leadership group stepped up, spending over £10,000 to pay back 374 fans who travelled all the way to the Arctic Circle for that match.
Looking ahead, Guardiola is hoping the club’s January signings make a real difference. Marc Guehi just arrived from Crystal Palace for £20 million and is set to make his debut soon. Sure, City still has a long injury list, but there’s enough quality left to take on Wolves this weekend. Semenyo should be back in the starting lineup after missing the midweek trip to Scandinavia.
Don’t expect any more big signings at the Etihad before the window closes. The club might bring in Feyenoord’s teenage right-back Givairo Read, but that’s about it. The real action is on the departure side.
Fulham are now strong favourites to land Bobb, with manager Marco Silva leading the charge. City’s asking for £30 million, and it looks likely Bobb will be gone by deadline day. Dortmund are still interested, but the price tag’s a problem for them. They might try for a loan with a view to buying later, but nothing’s certain there.
City’s attack hasn’t exactly been firing this month. Sure, they hit Exeter City for 10 in the FA Cup, but that’s not really the same as performing against tougher sides. Guardiola needs his team back to their ruthless best—starting Saturday against Wolves.
THE REAL: REASON JEREMY DOKU BELIEVES THE NEXT FOUR GAMES WILL DEFINE CITY’S SEASON
Jeremy Doku praises City's pride after Bernardo Silva's red card, eyeing redemption in Sunday's Carabao Cup final.
Jérémy Doku sees winning the Carabao Cup as a helpful way for Manchester City to bounce back from their Champions League disappointment. After being knocked out by Real Madrid for the third consecutive year, with a 5-1 aggregate loss in the round of 16, the team faces a tough challenge to regroup quickly.
Pep Guardiola's squad now has to shift focus to their upcoming trip to Wembley, where they’ll take on Arsenal on Sunday. Despite the setback in Europe, Doku feels that lifting a trophy this week would help erase the recent frustration.
He said, “It’s a good way to recover. We’ll do everything we can to win that game and bring home a trophy. The next four matches really matter. We have to recover well for Sunday and then take it one game at a time.”
What lies ahead will likely define the city's season. After the Carabao Cup final, they face an FA Cup quarterfinal against Liverpool following the international break, as well as two critical Premier League games against Chelsea and Arsenal.
“There’s still plenty at stake,” Doku added. “We’re competing in three different competitions, with three trophies still on the table. If we manage to win one, it’ll still be a strong season for us. Of course, missing out on the Champions League is disappointing. It’s always a special trophy. But we have to learn from those games against Real Madrid, recover properly, and focus on what’s next.”
City endured a tough week, following a 3-0 loss in Madrid with a narrow 2-1 defeat at the Etihad. One pivotal moment was Bernardo Silva’s early red card in the second leg.
Yet, Doku draws some confidence from how the team performed despite being down to 10 men against such a formidable opponent.
“We have reasons to be proud,” he reflected. “Playing against a team like Real Madrid with one less player and still causing them problems isn’t something every team can do. We didn’t get the win, but we can look each other in the eye knowing we gave a good performance both with 11 players and with 10. We created chances and played well.”
He went on to say, “If we bring that kind of effort to every match, we’ll trouble many teams. There are valuable takeaways from this game that we can carry into the next.”
WHY PEP GUARDIOLA CANCELLED TRAINING BEFORE MANCHESTER CITY’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE REMATCH
Pep Guardiola cancels Manchester City training to combat fatigue ahead of the 3-0 comeback attempt vs Real Madrid.
Pep Guardiola has shared his reasoning for skipping training the day before Manchester City’s crucial Champions League last-16 second leg against Real Madrid at the Etihad. Facing a tough three-goal deficit from their 3-0 loss at the Bernabeu last week, City are up against the difficult task of overturning this against a team that has won Europe’s top trophy 15 times.
Historically, only four teams have managed to claw back a gap of three or more goals in the knockout stages, so the challenge ahead is immense. Guardiola acknowledges his players will need to deliver an almost flawless performance if they hope to stage a remarkable comeback on home turf. Still, he remains hopeful they will create plenty of scoring chances against Alvaro Arbeloa’s side.
In a somewhat unexpected move, Guardiola has decided to give his first team a day off on Monday, opting for a light session just hours before kickoff on Tuesday. At Monday’s press conference, he explained the logic behind this approach, citing the fatigue from travel and recent matches. After returning late from Madrid, then heading to London for a Premier League draw against West Ham, the players have had a packed schedule. Guardiola feels a day of rest will serve them better than trying to squeeze in more training.
He further emphasised the mental aspect, pointing out that mental strength plays a big role in how well they perform. He plans to assess the players’ condition and conduct training on Tuesday afternoon. With travel taking its toll and players spontaneously connecting with their families, he believes keeping them relaxed and fresh is crucial.
Captain Bernardo Silva, who was the only City player present for media duties, supported Guardiola’s decision. He reflected on past occasions when the team took rest days following both wins and losses, trusting the manager’s judgement to help them regroup and come back stronger.
On team news, Guardiola revealed he has most of his starting lineup settled, though one spot remains uncertain. Josko Gvardiol (tibial fracture) and Rico Lewis (ankle) are sidelined, but Mateo Kovacic has returned to the bench after recovering from a lengthy ankle and heel injury. With these preparations in place, City will be charging into a daunting but pivotal night against one of Europe’s giants.
