Dodgy dealings getting 14 mill for a lad who hasn’t played a competitive game for City in the league. Probably the conspiracy theorist in me, but few of their outgoings are suss
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I agree with that. I have always wondered if they are buying their own outgoing players, or at least subsidizing it, so the books look better.
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Yeah what we are looking for about 14 million for Neco. Who was one of the best Championship right backs. Wales senior international. Played CL football and a few premier league games. Yet this lad who’s biggest achievement is making the bench for about two prem games. Not knocking the kid but I’m suspicious about their outgoings. Darko Gyabi was an average u18s player who was just solid for just under 5 million. I know he was involved in the Phillips deal but transfermarkt mentions that figure. Suspect imo
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Talk of wanting to get them to Serie A. The RB Liepzing model in macro scale.
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Their entire edifice needs to be torn down. All those nasty hydrocarbon fiefdoms will be destroyed by climate change and will end up back as depopulated deserts that are probably too hot even for camels. They produce nothing worth retaining but poison the earth and the sooner all the sheiks end up back in their tents the better.
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Wasn’t that long ago that Palermo were in the top half of Serie A, so I don’t think the 5-year plan is just getting to Serie A.
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So they have Haaland + Kalvin in and Fernandinho + Jesus out.
That’s a clear improvement but we’ll have to see how that works out.
It was reported that Gündogan wanted to leave but there seems to be no Club interested.
Chelsea still interested in Sterling and Barcelona actually confident that the will sign Bernardo.
I wonder what City’s plan is if they really sell any of the three.
Think Phillips is an enormous downgrade on Fernandinho, personally. Genuinely have no idea why the guy gets so much praise.
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English? Tough guy?
Lovely hair?
I agree with you. Would never have entered our thinking as a potential signing?
Another Rodwell, Drinkwater, Barkley for oblivion.
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I’m not sure, I can see the conspiracy and why it makes sense but Lavia is genuinely one of the best young players around at the moment, Belgian U21S international, signed only two years ago for what was likely a substantial fee from Anderlecht. If he had signed for, for example, Villa when he left Anderlecht then he’d have played a significant amount of PL football by now and I think all parties know that.
Last I saw it was a deal “worth up to 14m” so that sounds like it includes add ons.
It’s a bit of a special case signing case players from Man City because of how expensively assembled their youth team is, how good they are and how against using young players Guardiola has become.
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It is so strange to see that given his history at Barca.
Alvarez is also in.
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There are two pieces of really important context.
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He was the coach of Busquets and Pedro the previous season in the B team, and so had a deeper connection with them and knowledge of who they were than he would have with any of the kids who’d subsequently come up through the youth ranks in the other clubs he coached
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The team he inherited was an aged side that loved the smell of their own farts. Both he and Txiki agreed it needed a root and branch overhaul. People remember the kids, but seem to remember less that they also transferred in 5 or 6 senior players to help fill the gaps left by the raft of established players he cut.
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I feel we have improved as well especially if you take Diaz into account when if you consider we were the better side when he showed up.
Sterling leaving will take an option away if he goes but their spending isn’t over. I think again at least on paper we are evenly matched and with Darwin we’ve added a different dimension
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If there’s any chance for us to win the title this season, it’s right here in this tweet. Yes, their side is amazing, yes, Haaland is going to outscore Aguero by the time he finishes his Man City career, yes, both Sterling and Jesus had their roles gradually reduced by Guardiola but it’s really not easy to replace the amount of goals and assists that the two of them got during their time there. If Alvarez really hits the ground running, then fair do’s to their scouting department.
We could really do with Bernardo Silva leaving this summer, too.
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For the 6 spots in midfield and attack we have
Fabinho, Henderson, Thiago, Keita, Milner, Ox, Firmino, Díaz, Jota, Salah and Nunez
That’s 11 (+ Jones, Elliott and Carvalho)
City have
Rodri, Phillips, de Bruyne, Gündogan, Foden, Bernardo, Grealish, Mahrez and Haaland
That’s 9 but Bernardo and Gündogan are thinking about leaving.
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Palmer, Alvarez if he stays + if they do sell someone else other than Sterling and Jesus, it’s not impossible that they react and bring someone else in.
don’t forget curtis jones and harvey eliott.
At this point in his career I think Guardiola has a long, long list of things he would rather do than give Cole Palmer any meaningful game time. I fully expect them to go for someone else, they won’t head into a season with Palmer as anything other than a deep, deep squad option.
(Sorry for harping on about this but I really do hate what Guardiola has become, even if it is arguably Liverpool’s success that has driven him to this point)
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Do you think Jürgen does the same though? That City’s success has driven him to rely on the kids less?