When Pep Guardiola, the genius of modern football, was announced as the manager of Manchester City, it was always on the cards that a few trusted generals of Manchester City for so long would become unfortunate casualties to the big transformation. While Joe Hart was making errors after errors in England kit in the Euros, his future under Pep was becoming more and more bleaker. BBC Sport claims that the Citizens have agreed a deal with Barcelona for the transfer of Chilean international keeper Claudio Bravo which means that England’s number one keeper is right now the third choice of the Sky Blues.
Pep Guardiola is a revelation in world football for the brand of football he believes in. The Spaniard’s philosophy demands all his players to possess an eye for a pass and defenders and goalkeepers are not an exception as well. We know how error-prone Victor Valdes was in his Barcelona days but still, he was Pep’s first-choice largely due to the fact that Valdes knew how to use his feet and contribute to the team.
Bravo, Chile’s most capped player ever, had two brilliant seasons at Barcelona after joining the Camp Nou side from Real Sociedad in 2014. The shot-stopper won eight different competitions for the Blaugrana in two seasons including two La Liga titles and one Champions League. This comparison between Hart, Bravo and Neuer (Pep’s first choice keeper at Bayern) shows why Hart is unwanted at Etihad.
However, there are a few downsides of Manchester City signing Claudio Bravo as well and we will discuss them here.
Not a long-term plan
Bravo is 33 years of age right now and even though there are exceptions like Buffon or van der Sar who showed that age is just a number, Bravo does not look like a long-term plan. Hart is just 29 and had been a loyal servant to the Sky Blues over the years having spent a decade at the club. The Citizens should have moved for a younger keeper who could play a long-term part in the project.
Not the best advertisement for the club
The kind of treatment players like Joe Hart, Yaya Toure are getting at the club will be heartbreaking for the Manchester City fans. Hart has been a key member of the Manchester City project over the years and deserves better loyalty from the club. However, we cannot blame Guardiola for it because if a player does not fit your style, it’s better to part ways with him.
