Manchester City Star Boy And Norway international Oscar Bobb has left Manchester City this morning to join this shocking Bundesliga Club for a Shocking Fee of £50million Pep Sold him because of Antoine Semenyo
Oscar Bobb’s future at Manchester City is now surrounded by uncertainty, emotion, and quiet expectation. What once looked like a smooth rise into Pep Guardiola’s first team has slowed down, and as January approaches, the reality is that the young winger may need to leave the Etihad Stadium to save his career. Yet even if Bobb walks away from City this winter, the door might not be fully closed behind him. In fact, there is a growing belief inside the club that his journey with Manchester City may only be paused, not ended.
Oscar Bobb is only 21 years old, but his career already feels like one of those football stories filled with promise, patience, setbacks, and unanswered questions. When he first broke into the City setup, many fans believed they were seeing the next special talent produced under Guardiola. His close control, confidence on the ball, and calm decision making stood out immediately. Bobb did not look like a nervous young player trying to impress. He looked like someone who belonged.
However, football is not always kind to young players, especially at a club like Manchester City where competition is ruthless and standards are impossibly high. This season has been particularly difficult for Bobb. Minutes have been hard to come by, opportunities have been rare, and when chances did appear, injuries arrived to block his progress again. The most recent setback came during the Carabao Cup quarter-final victory over Brentford, where Bobb picked up an injury that has kept him on the sidelines.
For a young player trying to fight for attention in a Guardiola team, time is precious. Every week matters. Every training session is a test. Every match is an audition. Bobb’s injury has come at the worst possible time, just as Manchester City prepare to reshape their squad during the January transfer window.
The situation has become even more complicated by City’s move to sign Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth. Semenyo is a powerful, direct winger who offers something different in attack. His arrival will instantly increase competition in wide positions, an area where City already have several strong options. With players like Jeremy Doku, Phil Foden, Rayan Cherki, and others capable of playing out wide, Guardiola’s attacking department is already crowded. Adding Semenyo into the mix means someone has to make way.
And sadly for Bobb, he appears to be the most vulnerable.
Despite rumours linking Savinho and Omar Marmoush with possible exits, it is Bobb who looks closest to leaving. Not because City have lost faith in him, but because his development has stalled. At this stage of his career, Bobb needs regular football. He needs to play every week, make mistakes, grow in confidence, and rediscover the spark that once made him so exciting.
Manchester City understand this. Guardiola understands this. The club has always been strategic when it comes to young players. Rather than holding onto talent that is not playing, City prefer to create pathways. Sometimes that means loan deals. Sometimes it means permanent transfers. But often, it includes an important safety net: the buy-back clause.
City are expected to include a buy-back clause in any deal that takes Bobb away from the Etihad. Whether he leaves on loan with an obligation to buy, or through a straight permanent transfer, City want to keep control of his future. This is not unusual for them. Over the years, they have inserted such clauses into deals involving talented youngsters, allowing the club to bring players back if they develop into top-level performers elsewhere.
These clauses are not always used, but they are powerful. They send a message to the player and to the buying club. The message is simple: we still believe in you.
A recent example is James Trafford. City brought him back to the club during the summer, showing that a return is possible if the conditions are right. While Trafford’s return has not worked out as hoped so far, the principle remains clear. Leaving City does not always mean goodbye forever.
This idea was discussed in detail on the latest episode of the Talking City podcast. Chief City writer Simon Bajkowski spoke honestly about Bobb’s situation and offered a balanced view that reflects how the club sees the player.
According to Bajkowski, Bobb remains one of the most exciting young talents City have produced in recent years. His technical quality, intelligence, and versatility make him a perfect Guardiola-style player. But football development is not always linear. Injuries can disrupt momentum. Confidence can fade. Opportunities can disappear.
Bobb’s serious injury last season played a huge role in slowing his progress. When a young player loses rhythm, it can take time to recover mentally as well as physically. Bajkowski explained that Bobb has not been able to fully make the most of the chances he has received since returning from injury. Not because of a lack of talent, but because consistency has been missing.
Interest in Bobb is strong. Several clubs across Europe see him as a player with enormous upside. Borussia Dortmund are currently leading the race to sign him. The German club has a long history of developing young attacking players and giving them the freedom to grow. For Bobb, Dortmund could represent the perfect environment to rebuild confidence and rediscover form.
A move to Dortmund would offer regular minutes, responsibility, and trust. These are exactly the things Bobb needs right now. City are open to this. They are not blocking his path. Instead, they are carefully managing it.
Bajkowski suggested that Bobb is likely to leave in January, possibly on loan with a permanent element included at the end of the season. This structure allows City to assess his development while giving Bobb the stability of knowing where his future lies.
Crucially, Bajkowski also made it clear that he could easily imagine Bobb returning to Manchester City in the future. Not as a squad player, but as a first-team star. That idea may sound strange now, given how things have gone this season, but football has a long memory and an even longer future.
Guardiola’s squads have always been built on versatility and intense competition. Every position has multiple options. Every player must be able to adapt. Bobb fits that philosophy perfectly, but timing matters. Right now, City need players who are fully fit, fully confident, and fully ready to deliver at the highest level every week.
With Doku offering explosive pace, Foden providing intelligence and goals, Cherki bringing creativity, and Semenyo adding physical power, the wide positions are stacked. Bobb, for all his talent, simply cannot compete in this moment. That does not make him a failure. It makes him a young player in need of space.
January is often a brutal month for footballers. Decisions are made quickly. Futures change suddenly. For Bobb, the next few weeks could define the next phase of his career. Leaving Manchester City will hurt. The Etihad has been his home. The badge means something to him. But sometimes, stepping away is the only way to move forward.
City fans will be watching closely. Many still believe in Bobb. They remember the excitement. They remember the confidence. They remember the moments that hinted at something special. If he leaves, it will not be with anger or disappointment from the stands. It will be with hope.
Hope that he finds his rhythm again. Hope that he stays fit. Hope that he grows into the player everyone thought he could be.
And perhaps one day, hope that he walks back through the doors of the Etihad Stadium, older, stronger, and ready to take his place in a Guardiola team that once believed in him enough to let him go.
In modern football, careers are rarely straight lines. They are winding paths filled with detours, lessons, and second chances. Oscar Bobb’s Manchester City story may be entering a quiet chapter, but the final pages have not yet been written.
