Manchester City Reach Agreement With Southampton Over £16 Million Transfer

Gavin Bazunu, who joined Manchester City at the age of 17 for a reported £420,000 fee, was last week named in the PFA League One Team of the Season, after an outstanding loan spell with Portsmouth in the third division of English football last season. 

The 20 year-old kept an impressive 16 clean sheets in 44 appearances for Pompey, helping Danny Cowley's side to a respectable 10th place finish, with the Irishman one of two young Manchester City goalkeepers to star between the sticks in League One last season. 

Bazunu has also established himself as the Republic of Ireland’s number one choice stopper, and is now set to join Premier League club Southampton, where the 20 year-old is expected to replace Fraser Forster, after the now-former Saints keeper completed a transfer to Tottenham Hotspur. 

The 42 report that Portsmouth’s 2021/22 Players’ Player of the Season is now set to undergo a medical on the South Coast ahead of an imminent move, with Manchester City and Southampton having agreed to a package potentially worth up to £16 million. 

Gavin Bazunu is closing in on a move to Southampton

The young goalkeeper has just two years remaining on his current Manchester City contract and is widely reported to be keen on play regular first-team football - an opportunity unlikely to be on offer at the Etihad Stadium in the near future, due to understudy Zack Steffen’s long-term contract and number one choice Ederson - who recently won his third successive Premier League Golden Glove award.

Manchester City are due to make an initial £12 million from the sale, with Gavin Bazunu having chosen to sign for Southampton despite interest from Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United, according to TalkSport journalist, Alex Crook. Saints manager Ralph Hassenhuttl is due to make the Irish goalkeeper his new number one choice between the sticks.

City look set to make a sizeable profit on the 20 year-old, and according to a recent report by James Ducker of The Telegraph, the Sky Blues are also expected to insert both a buy-back clause and sell-on clause in any deal with Southampton - something The Athletic say has been agreed by the two clubs.

Gavin Bazunu was excellent out on loan at Portsmouth (PA Images / Alamy)

Gavin Bazunu will become the Blues’ first significant sale of the ongoing summer transfer window, as the club look to recoup funds to help strengthen Pep Guardiola’s first-team squad even further; with a new left-back and defensive midfielder thought to be priorities, after the Champions wrapped up deals for striking duo Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund and Julian Alvarez from Argentine club River Plate. 

Elsewhere, Manchester City also announced this week that veteran goalkeeper Scott Carson had signed a new one-year contract with the club such is his invaluable contribution to the club's dressing room environment and first-team goalkeeping union.

Additionally, fellow goalkeeper James Trafford has returned to League One side Bolton Wanderers on a season-long loan deal - it was announced on Wednesday afternoon.