Three more Manchester City players head to Girona on loan

Manchester City have further underlined their links with Girona by sending three more players on loan to the newly-promoted LaLiga outfit.

On Tuesday new £10million signing Douglas Luiz, winger Marlos Moreno and midfielder Aleix Garcia linked up with the Catalan side.

They follow full-back Pablo Maffeo, who joined Girona for a third spell on Monday. All are season-long loan deals.

Luiz's move comes just weeks after the highly-rated 19-year-old Brazilian midfielder was signed by City from Vasco da Gama.

City director of football Txiki Begiristain told www.mancity.com: "Girona will give Douglas the perfect opportunity to develop at the top level of the European game."

Colombian striker Moreno, 20, was signed by City last summer but spent the 2016-17 campaign on loan at Deportivo La Coruna.

Spaniards Garcia and Maffeo, both 20, have been on the fringes of the City first team without earning regular opportunities.

City have been working closely with Girona in recent seasons and this week announced they would play each other in a friendly in Catalonia on August 15.

That comes just three days after City's Premier League opener, with manager Pep Guardiola having decided to take his squad abroad for four days' warm-weather training.

Girona spent part of their pre-season programme at the City Football Academy in Manchester.