According to Team Talk, City are one of the clubs hoping to sign Dutch prodigy Ruud Nijstad. The defender is a target for Barcelona, who are making a strong effort to sign him, while City are also actively working to sign him.

City Football Group, Manchester City’s parent company, is attempting to sign FC Twente defender Ruud Nijstad and is in competition with Chelsea's owners, BlueCo, who are also interested in the player. The involvement of these ownership groups is considered important because they can offer multi-club pathways and development plans. Barcelona had previously tried to sign the 18-year-old but has since withdrawn its interest. The Catalan club was unwilling to pay more than a €10 million figure mentioned by Twente, and it was also reported that Nijstad was unconvinced by their development plan. This has enabled other clubs to show interest, with several Premier League teams including Newcastle United, Tottenham, and Aston Villa having scouted him, while German clubs such as Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and RB Leipzig have also sent scouts. The Netherlands U18 international, who has 6 caps and 1 goal for his country, has made 9 appearances and provided 1 assist in the Eredivisie this season. His contract with Twente runs until June 2027, and his current Transfermarkt valuation is €700,000.