Sierra Leone international centre-back Abdulai Juma Bah is on the verge of a move to German Bundesliga club FC Augsburg. According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Augsburg have reached a verbal agreement to sign the 20-year-old defender on a season-long loan from Manchester City.
The deal includes a non-mandatory buy option valued at more than €20 million (around £17–20 million depending on exchange rates).
Bah, born in Freetown on 11 April 2006, stands at an imposing 1.95 metres and has established himself as one of Sierra Leone’s brightest football exports. He rose from helping at his family’s bakery and playing street football to starring for local sides including Freetown Giant Academy, AIK Freetong and Freetonians SLIFA (where he captained the team). In 2024 he became the first Sierra Leonean to play in Spain’s La Liga with Real Valladolid before Manchester City signed him in January 2025 for a reported €6 million fee. He has since gained experience on loan in France with RC Lens and OGC Nice, making dozens of appearances in Ligue 1 and European competitions.
The towering defender has already earned senior caps for the Leone Stars and scored his first international goal.
His move to Augsburg would give him regular top-flight football in one of Europe’s strongest leagues, despite interest from clubs in Spain and Italy.
German reports indicate Augsburg are seeking defensive reinforcement and that talks with Manchester City are advanced, though final details such as the loan fee were still being finalised around the transfer deadline.
A successful season in the Bundesliga could see Augsburg exercise the buy option and keep Bah in Germany permanently, or further boost his value for a future return to Manchester City or a bigger move elsewhere.
