Rico Lewis has reaffirmed his commitment to Manchester City, stating he has no intention of leaving the club this summer despite interest from Nottingham Forest. The 20-year-old England defender, who joined City at the age of eight, emphasised his desire to stay at the Etihad Stadium.
“For me, I’ve never ever seen myself leaving,” Lewis said after City’s 4-0 win at Wolves. “I’ve always wanted to play for City. It’s my dream. When I’m playing with the kind of players that I’m playing with, it brings out the best of me. So I’m so happy.”
Lewis made 44 appearances last season but fell behind Matheus Nunes in the right-back pecking order. After speaking with manager Pep Guardiola about his future, Lewis acknowledged the need to perform. “Everyone wants that assurance and security, but at the end of the day it’s on me. It’s on me to perform. Last season I played more than the season before. So it’s always the same goal – to become an established player.”
Guardiola showed faith in Lewis by starting him ahead of Nunes against Wolves. The defender also reflected on missing out on the Premier League title, saying it has “fuelled the fire” in the squad. “As much as we want to forget about last season, obviously it’s in the back of our minds and maybe we could say it’s fuelled the fire in us, but we’re so focused on this season. We feel so much stronger together as a team.”
Forest had targeted Lewis as part of a double swoop for City academy talents, but only secured a £30m deal for James McAtee, who signed a five-year contract. Forest are also pursuing Rennes striker Arnaud Kalimuendo and former Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz.
