Who to believe on Man City transfers
814 City rumours since May 2024, each checked against the move that really happened (or didn't). 428 came true: 53%.
| Outlet | Came true | Record | Waiting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marca | 81.8% | 9 of 11 City rumours | 1 |
| The Athletic | 80.6% | 25 of 31 City rumours | 0 |
| Sky Sports | 73.9% | 17 of 23 City rumours | 3 |
| The Sun | 70.6% | 24 of 34 City rumours | 5 |
| The Guardian | 68.8% | 11 of 16 City rumours | 1 |
| Fabrizio Romano | 67.3% | 37 of 55 City rumours | 4 |
| Daily Mail | 67.2% | 39 of 58 City rumours | 11 |
| Daily Star | 60% | 6 of 10 City rumours | 0 |
| The Telegraph | 58.6% | 17 of 29 City rumours | 2 |
| Florian Plettenberg | 58.3% | 7 of 12 City rumours | 2 |
| Sport (Spain) | 54.5% | 6 of 11 City rumours | 4 |
| Mundo Deportivo | 50% | 7 of 14 City rumours | 4 |
| Talksport | 47.6% | 10 of 21 City rumours | 6 |
| AS (Spain) | 46.2% | 6 of 13 City rumours | 2 |
| Teamtalk | 45.5% | 30 of 66 City rumours | 32 |
| The Times | 44.4% | 8 of 18 City rumours | 0 |
| Football Insider | 42.2% | 35 of 83 City rumours | 18 |
| ESPN | 40% | 4 of 10 City rumours | 1 |
| Daily Mirror | 37.5% | 9 of 24 City rumours | 1 |
| Caught Offside | 33.3% | 8 of 24 City rumours | 7 |
| Fichajes | 29.4% | 5 of 17 City rumours | 10 |
| TBR Football | 28.6% | 4 of 14 City rumours | 0 |
Waiting: rumours about a window that has not shut yet. Scored 2026-11-13. Outlets with fewer than 10 judged City rumours are left out.
How we score them
Every Manchester City rumour in BBC Sport's daily gossip column since May 2024, each read for the player and whether he was to join or leave City, then checked against Wikipedia's lists of the transfers City really made: a rumour came true when that player made that move, loans included, by the end of the transfer window after the rumour. Rumours about a window that has not shut yet wait, and an outlet needs 10 judged City rumours to be listed.
Questions people ask
Where do the rumours come from?
BBC Sport's daily football gossip column, which sums up the morning's transfer stories and names the outlet behind each one. We take every item about a Manchester City player moving in or out since May 2024.
How do you know if a rumour came true?
We check each rumour against Wikipedia's list of the transfers City really made in that season: the player has to have joined City (for a rumour about signing him) or left City (for a rumour about selling him), loans included, by the end of the transfer window after the rumour.
Why are some outlets missing?
An outlet needs at least 10 City rumours that can already be judged before it gets a score. Rumours about the January 2027 window wait until that window shuts, so they are not counted yet.
Does a low score mean an outlet makes things up?
No. Many rumours are true at the time and the deal simply falls through, and clubs check on many players they never sign. A low score means its City rumours rarely ended in a move.