Pep Guardiola has come in and made a host of changes in personnel, in attitude and basically the overall mentality of the squad. He strives for perfection and believes his method and ideology is the way forward in this quest. A thorough Champion himself, he has clear ideas and was ruthless enough to take hard decisions. And after a disappointing season last year, it was evident there would be a couple of lads whose performances were bound to come under the scanner and maybe face the axe in the new regime. But the high wages City offer and the short duration made only loan deals possible for a trio of major stars who were found to be surplus to requirement under Pep.
Let us take a peek into what your lads are up to at their loan destinations.
SAMIR NASRI
A bit of an enigma in the sense that he promised a lot and truth be told he did deliver, but only for a very short period of time. Has unquestionable quality but a combination of factors made sure that he fell short of becoming a City legend. Fans were divided on his loan move the most, with a few wanting the duo of Pep and Nasri to work together. But Pep is not one for emotions to come in the way of his decision-making and off went Nasri to Sevilla. And till now it has been a success story. In 8 appearances so far he has 2 goals and an assist but most importantly he has looked sharp and has given the midfield a cutting edge. He has looked more confident and his dribbling ability along with his zest to play seems to be massively enhanced. With both parties looking content there is likely going to be a permanent deal in the future.
WILFRIED BONY
The Ivorian tried his best in pre-season to convince Pep but ultimately failed to carve a way into his gameplan. He was sent off on a season-long loan to Stoke City with a loan fee of £2m. He had not lost his reputation since his days at Swansea as many people believed he was a misfit for City’s style of play.
And Stoke signed him with the hope that he would be the target man they have missing for so long. But although his start was not the best, he does seem to have settled fairly well now and opened his account with a brace. He could still be a success for the Potters this season which would pave way for a permanent affair between them.
ELIAQUIM MANGALA
Mangala’s time in Valencia has been surprisingly low-key especially back in England which points to the possibility that his fate at City is pretty much sealed. There were question marks over his ability to fit into a Pep Guardiola side with the passing philosophy and the need to be versatile. It seems certain that City are prepared to accept this piece of transfer as a massive mistake and move on. At Valencia, he hasn’t been lighting up the world but hasn’t been too poor. His team’s failings have made sure he is not singled out for criticism. Set for a permanent move away for a cut-price fee in the summer.
