Manchester City agree loan deal with Norwich City for 20-year-old defender

Premier League champions Manchester City have agreed to send England under-21 international Callum Doyle on loan to Norwich City for the forthcoming season.

The 2024/25 season will mark Callum Doyle’s fourth successive loan spell away from the Etihad Stadium following impressive stints with Sunderland, Coventry City, and most recently, Leicester City in their Championship-winning campaign under Enzo Maresca.

Despite sustaining a serious injury during the opening weeks of last season, Callum Doyle still managed to impress onlookers and record a commendable 23 appearances for the Foxes, following on from his play-off final reaching spell with Coventry City in the season prior.

Doyle’s success in taking defensive units towards promotion or through the promotion process began during his first loan spell with Sunderland, as the north-east club won promotion via the League One play-offs in the 2021/22 season.

And now Norwich City will be hoping for a similar impact from the Manchester City defender, who is highly-thought of within the Etihad Stadium and retains hopes of making it into Pep Guardiola’s first-team set-up.

According to the information of BBC Sport’s Nick Mashiter, Manchester City have now agreed to send Callum Doyle on loan to Championship side Norwich City for the forthcoming 2024/25 campaign.

While the report clarifies that a deal is yet to be formally signed, all parties are said to be ‘satisfied’ that Carrow Road is the best destination for the 20-year-old versatile defender to spend next season.

There are financial benefits to the deal for the Premier League champions, despite Norwich holding no option to buy Doyle upon the conclusion of the loan deal, with Mashiter reporting that the Canaries will be paying a loan fee for the England under-21 international.

Callum Doyle is said to have been left impressed by Norwich City’s Colney training ground earlier this month, as well as new head coach Johannes Thorup’s plans for the new campaign and him personally.

It does however remain to be seen whether Doyle will be included in Pep Guardiola’s final squad for Manchester City’s tour of the USA, with the possibility that he is retained with the squad due to limited back-up options for Josko Gvardiol.

Callum Doyle is one of several Manchester City youngsters hoping to receive clarification on their immediate-term futures before the start of the upcoming season, whilst some await an opportunity to impressive coaching staff during the pre-season tour.

That includes versatile playmaker James McAtee, who returns to the Etihad Stadium following a second successive season-long loan spell with Sheffield United last season and is expected to be granted an opportunity Stateside later this week.

Manchester City will embark on a four-game tour when they arrive in the United States, taking on Scottish Premier League champions Celtic, as well as FC Barcelona, Chelsea, and AC Milan at four different venues along the east coast of the country.