Bobb's stance on Man City future after Palmer & Alvarez decisions

Manchester City star Oscar Bobb is ready to fight for a first-team place after watching Cole Palmer and Julian Alvarez seek pastures new.

The 21-year-old featured for City towards the end of last season in a vote of confidence from Pep Guardiola. That trust has continued into pre-season this summer.

Bobb scored and provided two assists as City lost 4-3 to Celtic in their opening friendly, before notching against AC Milan and getting on the scoresheet in their 4-2 win over Chelsea. He will now be hoping to play a more prominent role against Manchester United in the Community Shield on August 10th.

The Norwegian's good form comes amid another summer of change up front at the Etihad. After Cole Palmer's exit to Chelsea to seek regular first-team football last term, Julian Alvarez is now on his way out to Atletico Madrid.

That should see Bobb get more opportunities, even if he's not a regular starter. Having arrived from Valerenga as a scholar in 2019, the youngster has kept on progressing and was rewarded with a new contract in February that will keep him at the club until 2029.

“It’s an incredible environment and the best possible place to be for a young player," Bobb said after signing his new deal. "I have already learnt so much from Pep, his coaching staff and my team-mates.

“To know I’m going to be here at the Club until 2029 means everything to me. I just want to focus on continuing to further my development and work as hard as I can every day to try and help Club achieve more success.”

Bobb made his first league start in a 1-0 win against Brentford in February after bagging his first top-flight goal the previous month - a dramatic 91st-minute winner against Newcastle at St James's Park.

The winger will use Palmer and Alvarez's departures as motivation not to suffer a similar fate after starring on City's pre-season tour of the United States after vowing to remain at the Etihad and fight.

Indeed, if a new contract wasn't proof enough of his commitment to City, his comments during their Stateside tour certainly are. "I think playing for this manager has always been a dream," said Bobb, who is in thrall to Guardiola like so many others. "If I have to wait a bit longer to get more playing time, I don't mind."

Palmer completed a £42.5m switch to Chelsea in a bid to play more first-team football – it's fair to say that has paid off. However, Bobb chose to cite team-mate Phil Foden as the academy product he wishes to emulate.

"With Phil's talent, there was no question he was going to break through," added the Norwegian. "It took some time. People said he should go and get playing time.

“He waited, and it paid off. There have been times I thought it would be hard, but as soon as I got the smallest opportunity, there were no other options."