Man City wonderkid that Arsenal wanted agrees loan move after 'eight-club' transfer battle

Manchester City midfielder Sverre Nypan is set to leave the Etihad Stadium on loan, just weeks after City beat Arsenal to his signing. The former Rosenborg youngster has been eyed by a number of clubs in England and beyond, but Championship outfit Middlesbrough have won the race.

Arsenal worked hard to bring Nypan to North London, with the presence of Noway captain Martin Odegaard believed by some to give them the upper hand. Aston Villa also pushed for the 18-year-old midfielder, but in the end it was City who clinched a deal for a reported £12.5million.

With Pep Guardiola's side adding fellow central midfielder Tijjani Reijnders early in the summer, the plan was always for Nypan to spend this season out on loan. A move to Girona was an option, with the City Football Group members having loaned the likes of Yan Couto and Yangel Herrera from the Etihad in years gone by, but instead the youngster is staying in England.

"Girona is a huge club and could be a very, very good solution since they are part of the City structure," Nypan's father Arne told Norwegian outlet Nettavissen in July. "At the same time, there are seven or eight clubs that have signed up and are very eager."

Nypan is set to be joined at the Riverside Stadium by Adilson Malanda, according to reports. French defender Malanda is on the verge of joining City from Major League Soccer side Charlotte FC, and will head straight out on loan.

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“Sverre is an exciting young player that the Club has been monitoring for quite some time now," City's director of football Hugo Viana said when Nypan moved to the club. The teenager has joined compatriots Erling Haaland and Oscar Bobb in Manchester, and a strong season on Teesside could put him in contention for a first senior Norway cap.

“We feel that he already has numerous standout qualities but that at only 18 years of age, he is only going to continue to improve," Viana added. "We believe he will be an important asset for Manchester City in the years to come and we will support him every step of the way in his development.”

Nypan is the fifth senior signing made by Boro this summer, following Alfie Jones, Callum Brittain, Abdoulaye Kante and Sontje Hansen to the Riverside Stadium. Former Hull midfielder Jones scored his first goal for the club over the weekend as Rob Edwards' side secured a 3-0 win at Millwall to climb to second in the Championship table.

"It has been a great start. Two clean sheets, and we have looked very solid across these two games," manager Edwards told BBC Radio Tees after the victory. "We want consistency, and we will keep trying to do the right things. I like where we are at but his this is a long, hard season."

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