Manchester City concluded an eventful transfer window as they oversaw a fair number of players making their way out on deadline day. The Sky Blues were amongst a select few bigger clubs who had concluded their incomings early on in the summer. Pep Guardiola showed glimpses of his ruthless nature when it comes to deciding what is best for his teams. Reputations took a backseat as the lads who were capable of showing their ability to the gaffer stayed, while the rest were conveyed in no uncertain terms about their future.
We take a look at their major transfer activities.
INS
John Stones (Everton £47.5m); Leroy Sané (Schalke £37m); Gabriel Jesus (Palmeiras £27m); Ilkay Gündogan (Borussia Dortmund £21m); Claudio Bravo (Barcelona £15.4m); Nolito (Celta Vigo £14m); Marlos Moreno (Atletico Nacional, £4.75m); Aaron Mooy (Melbourne City, free); Oleksandr Zinchenko (FK Ufa, undisclosed)
OUTS
Edin Dzeko- Roma £9.5m (loan made permanent); Wilfried Bony- Stoke City (loan); Joe Hart- Torino (loan); Samir Nasri- Sevilla (loan); Eliaquim Mangala- Valencia (loan); Martín Demichelis- Released; Richard Wright- Retired; Jason Denayer- Sunderland (loan); Aaron Mooy – Huddersfield (Loan); Marlos Moreno – Deportivo (Loan); Oleksandr Zinchenko – PSV (Loan)
Source: Sky Sports
WHAT PEP GOT RIGHT
Manchester City will be fairly pleased with their overall transfer activity. Though it has differed from what many people were anticipating, they have managed to bolster their squad considerably. John Stones has come in and is expected to be Pep’s perfect ball playing centre-back along with Claudio Bravo who is expected to be more of a sweeper keeper. Gundogan can be Guardiola’s next Xavi and will be key for them provided he finds his best form after recovering from the injury.
With the additions of Leroy Sane, Gabriel Jesus and Nolito, the best attacking unit in the league has gone onto a different level altogether. The City chiefs also focused considerably on the future with big money signings of the likes of Moreno, Zinchenko, Gabriel Jesus along with Sane. These players are expected to form the core of the team in the years to come.
WHAT HE MIGHT NOT HAVE
Pep Guardiola has torn up the text book and has turned things upside at City with the installation of Kolarov at centre-back and utilising his fullbacks more in the centre of the field. He has mainly applied his unconventional tactics to cover up for the lack of personnel in some areas. They missed out on Laporte but Kolarov’s performance along with Pep’s penchant for using defensive midfielders at centre-back has dissuaded them from forking out big money on another centre-back after Stones. Same goes with the full-backs. With all of them on the wrong side of 30, it was given that new blood would be coming in. But Pep decided against it and has tweaked the roles to suit the players at his disposal. Inside sources believe that Pep is going to be overhauling the defence next summer but we hope the make-shift options are able to hold things together till then.
