Little known transfer rule hits Man City transfer business ahead of deadline day

Manchester City are unable to sanction any more overseas loan departures this month having filled their squad quota.

Rules were introduced in 2022 capping the number of international loans in and out of any club to eight and have since been tightened to six.

James McAtee has been linked with a temporary move away from the Etihad but City have already allowed six players to leave on international loans and UEFA rules prevent them from sanctioning any more.

It means any move abroad for McAtee will have to be permanent, and Guardiola said on Friday he did not want to lose the midfielder despite him having yet to start a Premier League or Champions League game this term.

There are exemptions to the rule, but they only apply to players aged 21 and under and who have spent three seasons with their current club between the ages of 15 and 21 - McAtee is 22 and both conditions must be met. McAtee could still move on loan to another English club should interest arise but he currently has continental suitors, including Bayern Leverkusen in Germany.

City allowed captain Kyle Walker to join AC Milan earlier this month on loan with an option to buy and the England international joined Yan Couto, Juma Bah, Maximo Perrone, Issa Kabore and Kayky as senior players out on loan.

The latter is currently playing in the Netherlands with Sparta Rotterdam and that spell is set to be cut short in January but the Brazilian is expected to immediately head out on loan again.

Couto's loan at Borussia Dortmund will be made permanent in the summer for £25.3million while City only signed Bah this month from Real Valladolid, immediately sending him to Lens in France. Kabore joined Werder Bremen this month having cut short his loan spell in Portugal with