Man City complete €30m transfer

Manchester City have completed their second-biggest transfer of 2024, despite the market being closed.

The Etihad club have received an unexpected transfer windfall in the form of €30 million thanks to Borussia Dortmund triggering the release clause of on-loan defender Yan Couto.

Couto was a much-coveted player in the summer following two successful seasons on loan with City’s sister club Girona. Arsenal were interested in taking him to the Emirates Stadium, FootballTransfers exclusively revealed.

Ultimately, though, the right-back completed a move on loan to Dortmund, where he has already featured on seven occasions as he has rapidly established himself as part of Nuri Sahin’s first-team squad.

Fabrizio Romano confirmed the news on Twitter: “Borussia Dortmund’s obligation to buy clause for Yan Couto deal from Man City has been triggered.

“Couto formally leaves City on a permanent deal now as Dortmund pay up to €30m package for the Brazilian right-back.”

City’s second biggest deal of 2024

The fee that Pep Guardiola’s side will receive for Couto means he becomes their 11th-biggest sale of all-time but also the second-biggest deal they have completed in 2024.

Only the transfer that took Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid for €75m is a bigger move for the Cityzens this year. This transfer even eclipses the €25m that City paid Troyes to sign Savinho in July – the only major signing they made until Ilkay Gundogan re-signed from Barcelona on a free late in the window.

Dortmund, meanwhile, will feel that they have done well out of this deal. Couto has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €25m, with the upper end of his estimate coming out at €31m – more than they have paid for him.

Furthermore, the Brazilian’s transfer valuation has been on an upward trend over the last year, with the youngster worth €10m in September 2023.