Man City are potentially facing fresh legal challenges after accusations from Spanish club Real Valladolid regarding their handling of the transfer of 18-year-old defender Juma Bah.
The Sierra Leonean talent, who has been a standout performer at Valladolid, is at the centre of a dispute that could further embroil City in legal repercussions.
Real Valladolid accuses Manchester City of “tapping up” youngster
Valladolid claims that Man City influenced Bah’s decision to activate his €6 million release clause, a move they argue violates transfer regulations.
As reported by The Telegraph, the Spanish club accuses City of “tapping up” Bah—a practice that involves approaching a player without the consent of his current club. Valladolid contends that City’s alleged interference led Bah to leave prematurely, thus sparking a legal headache.
Bah, who joined Valladolid in August 2024 on loan from Freetonians SLIFA, initially featured in the reserve squad but quickly earned a spot in the first team.
The Sierra Leonean made history in September 2024 by becoming the first player from his country to appear in La Liga. Since then, Bah has established himself as an important figure for Valladolid, making 13 appearances across all competitions.
However, tensions surrounding his contract grew when Bah reportedly declined an offer to renew his deal, which would have raised his release clause. On January 21, Bah and his agent announced his departure after triggering the clause, which led Valladolid to allege that Man City had orchestrated the move.
Manchester City are no strangers to controversies and legal issues. Manchester City are currently embroiled in a major case having been accused of breaching multiple financial regulations. They have allegedly misrepresented financial information for every season from 2009-10 to 2017-18. A verdict on the ongoing case is expected in the coming months, with potential severe punishments looming, including fines, points deduction, or even having previous titles stripped if the allegations are upheld.
In addition to this, City recently took legal action against the Premier League over their Associated Party Transaction rules, emerging victorious in the court challenge.
While Manchester City continue to battle legal troubles behind the scenes, their on-field performance has also taken a downturn this season.
The defending Premier League champions find themselves in an unexpected position, sitting 5th in the league with 38 points, already six points behind second-place Arsenal and third-place Nottingham Forest, both of whom sit on 44 points and 12 points behind 1st placed Liverpool who have a game in hand. City have already suffered six losses this season, a stark contrast to their usual dominance.
Their struggles in the Premier League have been mirrored in the Champions League, where they are on the brink of elimination from the league stage. A 4-2 defeat to PSG has left Pep Guardiola’s side with everything to do in their final match against Club Brugge to secure a spot in the play-offs.
Man City’s upcoming clash with Chelsea
City’s next challenge comes this weekend when they face Chelsea in a crucial Premier League encounter. Under new manager Enzo Maresca, Chelsea have been pretty decent, sitting in 4th place just two points ahead of City. However, the Blues’ recent form has been mixed, with two losses, two draws, and one win in their last five matches.
Despite their respective struggles, the match is expected to be a thrilling encounter. Maresca will return to the Etihad to face his former mentor Pep Guardiola, with both teams desperately fighting for a top-four finish. For those eager to attend, information on how to buy tickets for Manchester City vs Chelsea are available here.
With legal challenges mounting and their performances on the pitch lacking, City find themselves in quite some crisis, both on and off the field.
