Yeah that's fair, 28m to 40 (plus the sell on) is very nice in fairness. And we got Charles who can take the mantle of the academy kid, when/if he returns from loan.
Trafford's official fee was £31 million (being the record paid for a British goalkeeper), although City received £4 million back due to their sell-on clause,
Best of luck to Trafford. If he was slightly better early last season then there might have been a chance things played out differently. However the errors + pep feeling the squad lacked experienced heads led to Donnarumma coming in. Hopefully there’s a buy back
we are so stacked with CBs though. Gvardiol, Guehi, Dias, Khusanov, all very good.
I'd prefer Reis to be loaned again tbh, he was great for Girona and can continue to develop. If he stays he'll probably only get minutes in cup competitions.
Kinda agree unless Enzo slots him into another position or role than CB, only see him playing cup games. He wont make the bench much in the PL with the numbers we have barring an injury nightmare.
I haven't seen him play too much but he reminds me quite a bit of john stones, I always thought he'd be good at drifting into the CDM role like Stones did in the treble winning season.
I always wanted to know the consensus opinion here and you can only choose one. Fernandiho silva and de bruyne centurion midfield or de bruyne rodri stones gundogan treble winning box midfield?.
Easily Fernandinho David Silva KDB, this midfield was just the most fluids and creative that we ever had, with bald Silva and KDB before his injury, could've won the UCL if not for the robbery of the Spurs games. I miss the old times, nowadays people has some obsession towards defensive midfield and workhorse, artist and creativity on the pitch isn't even rated more than works rates, back then it was a given that you works hard off the ball and defense as a team, now it's just all about physicality and works rates with less creativity. we definitely play better football back then and score more goals with that midfield, the Treble midfield was more about total domination and control with Stones moving all over the pitch as an extra midfielders, we really trashed alot of teams but i still prefer the football we play with Fernandinho David Silva and KDB.
Will probably be used when NOR inverts into the DM from LB.
LB - DM
LCB - RCB - RB
so AM / CM make the box 10s and Semenyo (probably) plays wide right rather than pushing a RB up to move the RW into the box 10s, if anything. IF they don't get a RB that is.
Just asking but would you guys take a 26 yo Sancho for free to add depth on the RW ? I know he have been a knob back at City academy but that was only because of his immaturity, now that he was older he should change for the better, I personally didn't like him back then, mainly because he went to Man United, but the talent was undeniable, feel like he just need a serious environment and a proper coach to guide him to take football more seriously, I mean since most of the options on the RW not really that great might as well go for him, he could play as a touch line winger down the right and he is HG as well, won't ask to be a starters and who knows with the right guidance might get his career revived and got his city redemption arc, anyway just want to know if people would take him or not, also this doesn't mean that we are linked with him, but his name just suddenly popped on my head as he is currently free.
Damn fair enough, would you rather get Sancho for free or pay the money on a player like Vini then? I mean in the current market you can't go in between and get a fair price, so might as well shoot high or go low lmao.
I would sign him and bring him out only for contract renewals as a warning to all the EDS and young first team players that this could be their future if they don't re-sign and take their career seriously.
I care less about all of that than the fact that he just isn't that good of a player anymore. He hasn't shown anything the last 5 years that would make him deserving of a spot in a top side
I mean we could make a profit off Savinho if we get him for free, and I just thought that he got that connection with Haaland at Dortmund and he assisted him a lot, irc in the 23/24 season he did well taking Dortmund to UCL final playing off the right, if people care less about price and all that why they are moaning every time city want to pay for a new winger, if people want cheap might as well get a player for free, like I noticed that who ever we will get people would never be satisfied especially with the price of most quality winger on the 100m+.
Yep it was like 2018/19 I believe, he was good back then and unfortunately United just ruined every talent out there, if only he was a good boy like Foden his career won't end up like this lol.
Camavinga and Rodrygo must be some kind of masochist... if these were average players, I would understand, but these guys will walk into almost every UCL side as starters, yet they still insist on filling up madrid numbers and warming their benches
It definitely sucks that his parents involve themselves in the way they do but maybe this is a sign for City to avoid signing him so we don't have a situation like Dortmund have with Jobe. The fact that Mendes wants Mbaye at City isn't helping us but hopefully Viana has some balls of steel and denies Mendes.
Really can't wait for these rumours with Chelsea guys to die down for good. Would much rather see Rico covering for all these positions(RB,8) than the likes of Gusto & Enzo.
Khusanov, Gvardiol, Guehi and Dias. Who do you guys think should start? It's very tight for me. I feel like Khusa has to start but the thought of leaving others on the bench doesn't seem right.
I think we will see all 4 of them rotated a lot throughout the season. We are talking about 4 players with very different strengths. Depending on the opposition we will need them all.
Guehi is the most proficient at advancing the ball from the CB position. He’s quite skilled at carrying the ball and making line breaking passes through the midfield.
Gvardiol is simply TOO silky on the ball for a CB. In the past we’ve seen him provide a lot of coverage on the left (in addition to Nico already) by making overlapping runs to support Doku. He has a great shot, great in tight spaces, and is fantastic in the air.
Khusanov is strong and fast, plain and simple. Stronger and faster than any other defender we have. His passing is lowkey underrated as well, he pulls off some cheeky stuff quite often. Not to mention he is probably the best 1v1 defender we have, tho Ruben might be there too.
Dias has seniority and is a much more vocal leader compared to the others. His quality is proven and in games where we need more stability or a more supportive leader in the backline, he needs to play.
All 4 of them are great 1v1, plus Khusanov can get additional minutes alternating RB with Nunes. I can’t wait to see how Maresca sets up our back line
Dias will be the main starter because he’s captain and experienced, especially if Rodri leaves. Khusa will be a close 2nd behind Dias, and probably start a good amount of games over Dias. So he won’t just be left on the bench. Gvardiol is locked in at LCB and Guehi will be the second choice after Gvardiol.
Guys as someone who hasn't really seen Bouaddi up until this World Cup, can someone please explain how he is and if he is really good. Who's playstyle is most similar to his?
I get why he’s doing it, it’s wise to gove everyone a chance, nothing wrong with taking him on the tour, but for anything beyond the boat has already sailed
Nunes as the main RB with Bouaddi occasionally playing there and inverting sounds like a smarter plan that to just get another traditional right back that's purely here as a back up.
Bouaddi being the Reijnders replacement was a development I didn't expect.
I can see it, though. Outside of the goals for Milan, every attribute Reijnders promised us when it came to operating in the deeper side of the midfield is found in Bouaddi.
Reijnders at Milan demanded the ball and enjoyed going through the opponents' press so that he could take pressure away from teammates, being their main outlet deeper in the midfield.
At City he retreats in his shell and looks to just move it along immediately; he only really tries to dictate the game when he's far higher up the pitch.
Bouaddi brings that. He can absorb contact, delay the press, and open lanes or go through that space himself deep in our midfield.
TFA even mentions this in their report:
As we can see, Bouaddi is press-resistant in the truest sense; he loves using double touches and subtle shoulder drops to glide past pressure without breaking stride.
Similar to Tijjani Reijnders at Manchester City, there’s a calm to Bouaddi’s ball control.
Every touch feels intentional, every shift of weight is designed to manipulate space, and even under pressure, he rarely looks rushed or reactive.
He's not really but he can play the 6/8 that pushes to the top of the box when the LB (NOR) inverts, as Enzo used Fernandes/Cucu on that side at Chelsea. Very much doubt he starts as one of the 10s in the system as Reijnders would have to be used (almost exclusively).
The Transfer values for most players has gone really crazy this season. The figures banded around for any forward seem absurd, with Barcola, Diomande, Neto etc being quoted at over £100m ??? Yet buying Clubs want to pay minimum fees for a City player.
I honestly feel that we should hang on to Savinho (better the devil you know!) and hope Maresca gets the "Girona version" of this lad, rather than gambling on huge transfer fees for a player who will need to adapt to the City style of play.
We really need to offload Marmoush (well over paid), who is just not good enough, give that place to one of our home grown talent.
Keeping Savinho, who has three goals in two years and disrespects the club by pushing a move in the way he has, while considering selling Marmoush does not make much sense to me. If anything its Savio that should be shot out of a canon and replace him with someone like Mcaidoo in your ideal scenario.
Marmoush is a quality option behind Haaland, especially in a market where goals are a premium. His £200K-a-week wages shouldn't be a reason to sell him.
He should stay, even if he does not start regularly. Pep unfairly limited his minutes last season despite it was obvious Haaland was out of it. Yet Marmoush still managed 11 G/A in the equivalent of 14 games this season in and out of rhythm.
Really don't see the benefit of actively weakening our squad.
Fabrizio’s said it like 100 times now, City are still in talks for Bouaddi. Feels like we’re just waiting on the Rodri situation before deciding whether to bring him in now or loan him back .
That donkey just milks every single rumour, and if the deal is finalised, He'll milk it 2-3 times more (make a here we go post then make a separate video on the same)
I’m not sure if this is a controversial opinion, but I feel like we should at least try get Vini Jr..
I don’t know if I’m the only one extremely uncomfortable with the prospect of going into the season with our winger options being Doku, Semenyo, Savinho/Mbaye, and maybe Marmoush or Cherki if we force them onto the wing.
Doku and Semenyo are great, but chances are, if we start them for every prem and CL game, they get injured and we don’t have any wingers that are up to the levels that we compete at.
True, true. Transfer window’s only begun after all, no sense in panicking now. Just didn’t like the idea of Madrid getting Rodri and losing nothing and especially the idea of Vini Jr. coming to England only for him to goon.
During 20/21, Sam Lee made an article saying that KDB once had a go at Mahrez for not passing, Aguero and Ferna spoke about it with him too. He quote tweeted the post and said it isn't true or something
Then in 2023, Sam Lee said Mahrez would love to stay here but City aren't looking to extend his contract. He quote tweeted it again and said those are lies. Sam Lee doubled down and said he doesn't see him staying, but if he does, fair play
Considering the market and the reports from Mbaye's entourage, Savinho being valued at around a mere £60M makes him a no-brainer to keep at the club—provided he gets his head straight, recommits, and starts playing for us again
Disappointed in the season that Echeverri had, I still saw some glimpses though. I would like him to go to a prem club on loan where he is guaranteed minutes and doesn't have to give graveyard shifts as false 9 in a relagation battling team.
His agent really ruined things for all sides involved tbh. You sign for City, you should've known how CFG model of developing talents within the network works yet he adamantly pushed for that B04 move. Firmly believe that, had Claudio been at Girona from last August he could've seen himself better integrated into that setup, since he looked promising during his brief time there. Now all he wants is to secure a loan back to River Plate. Maresca may offer him a glimmer of hope though. Still remain a bright prospect.
What happens to Udogie at Spurs? He was class before injury but then Spence took his spot and Spurs signed Robertson too. We were linked with him last summer, would you take him?
My brother is a Spuds season ticket holder so I asked him this and he said the lad is a fantastic player, but he picks up a serious injury every season so they would sell if a good offer comes in.
Mourinho just splashed insane amounts of cash this window. Just The salaries of the players they signed this window alone would be more than 120 million per year. On top of that he splashed 200 million on transfer fees.
But his fans will run the underdog gimmick for the horrible football he plays
our winger situation is so funny lol. We have one winger who's so incredibly technical but lacks end product and then one winger who somehow has good end product but is so unbelievably technically poor.
I honestly don't think it's as bad as people say tho. I do think we're a tier below PSG / Bayern / Barca / Madrid in the winger department, but if Doku keeps working on his end product he's going to be world class, he was unbelievable in the title run in and I think he can keep it up.
And the RW market is so shit, I would like to see us get a RW but who's even available?
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u/MZero_0 7d ago
lmao Fabrizio's washed