Manchester City have confirmed that 18-year-old midfielder Sverre Nypan will spend the 2025/26 campaign on loan at Middlesbrough, giving the highly rated Norwegian his first taste of English football outside the Premier League.
Nypan caught City’s attention with his vision, close control, and ability to dictate play from an advanced role, attributes that earned him comparisons with Martin Ødegaard during his rise in Norway.
The deal was finalised over the weekend after being described as almost done earlier in the week. Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano confirmed the move on his official X account, posting:
“All done and completed between Boro and Man City for Sverre Nypan to join the club on loan. Exclusive story, confirmed.”
Nypan’s temporary switch forms part of a wider Manchester City plan to trim Pep Guardiola’s squad and give minutes to their brightest prospects. Guardiola has repeatedly insisted he wants to work with a smaller, more manageable group, especially after City’s 4-0 win against Wolves in pre-season.
That strategy has already seen Vitor Reis join Girona on loan, while Max Alleyne will spend the campaign with Watford. Claudio Echeverri’s camp is also exploring a loan move to accelerate his development.
Signed this summer from Rosenborg for around £12.5 million, Nypan is regarded as one of Europe’s top teenage midfielders. Softfootball understands that City see the teenager as a long-term first-team player, but with fierce competition for places in midfield, a loan was always the likeliest short-term solution.
Middlesbrough, who narrowly missed out on promotion last season, are expected to hand Nypan regular starts in the Championship, a league famous for testing the physical and mental toughness of young players.
City believe that the rigours of the Championship will give Nypan an invaluable grounding in English football. Unlike a move to La Liga or the Eredivisie, a spell at Boro offers the chance to adapt to the intensity and physicality of the English game, a step the club view as crucial before he is ready for the Premier League spotlight.
For Middlesbrough, the loan is a coup. Michael Carrick gains one of the most promising midfielders in Europe, while City hope to see their investment toughened up by the challenges of the second tier.
