Pep Guardiola says Man City star ‘wants to leave’ in honest admission

Pep Guardiola says Oscar Bobb is keen to leave Manchester City.

Bobb joined City as a 16-year-old, and despite making 47 appearances for the first team, his game time on the pitch has been limited.

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This season, the Norwegian winger has started just five Premier League games, although he has missed the last seven league fixtures with a hamstring injury.

But the signing of Antoine Semenyo this month will make Bobb’s chances of becoming a regular starter even slimmer, and a move away from City could be in the offing.

Guardiola couldn’t say whether that would happen this month but spoke frankly on the player’s desire to leave the Etihad Stadium.

When asked about Bobb’s future at the club after City’s 2-0 win over Wolves last weekend, Guardiola said: “I don’t know yet. I know there are rumours, I know there are talks but I don’t know right now.”

And when asked if Bobb wants to leave, before making an exit from the press conference, Guardiola responded: “I think so.”

Who wants Bobb?

talkSPORT understands Bobb has held talks with Fulham over a potential permanent move to west London.

Crystal Palace are also said to hold an interest in the 22-year-old but this would be a loan move if he was to go to Selhurst Park.

Bobb also has interest from clubs in Europe with Borussia Dortmund and Sevilla understood to admire him.

He is contracted at City until the summer of 2029, so is set to command a sizeable fee despite his relative inexperience.

As mentioned, the £62.5million acquisition of Semenyo is set to clear the path for Bobb to move onto pastures new.

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Bobb joined City in the summer of 2019 from Valerenga in his homeland as a 16-year-old.

He made his first appearance for City in September 2023, incidentally during a Premier League clash against Fulham, where he could be heading this month.

The 16-cap Norway international has three goals in 47 appearances for City, the most noteworthy seeing him show great skill and composure to give them a late 3-2 win at Newcastle in January 2024 en route to City winning a fourth straight Premier League title.

Bobb is yet to get off the mark in nine appearances this season.

City enjoyed a good weekend having secured a 2-0 win at home to Wolves thanks to goals from Omar Marmoush and Semenyo.

The gap between them and Premier League leaders Arsenal was trimmed to four points as the Gunners suffered a 3-2 defeat at home to Manchester United over the weekend.

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The next league outing for City sees them go to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday after rounding off their Champions League league phase campaign with a clash at home to Galatasaray on Wednesday.