Manchester City have had an uncertain summer thus far. With none of the activities managing to reach the level of enthusiasm the appointment of Pep Guardiola provided. While the Blues have managed to sign Gundogan for a steal and have also added Spanish attacker Nolito they have been fairly stationary in the market otherwise. While there have been deals to address the future, this window has been a stark contrast to the ones City have had in the past. While deals for Stones and Leroy Sane are stuck in the pipeline, fans are growing anxious as the season approaches its beginning.
With an unsatisfactory pre-season tour of China, where the derby got cancelled and the fact that majority of the players are yet to have any significant minutes on the pitch has got the Etihad faithful fretting. With the imminent signing of Paul Pogba by their cross-town rivals the pressure is on City to make a statement of their own.
Though City are on an uneven keel right now, things can change pretty fast in a matter of weeks. Three signings which can change the whole complexion of the summer for City are-
TONI KROOS
Kroos has been excellent over the past couple of seasons for Real Madrid and the German National team. His incisive passing and ability to single-handedly steer the flow of the game are the exact qualities Guardiola looks for in his midfielders. His passing accuracy in close to 90% which is exceptional and is seen as an ideal long-term replacement for Yaya Toure. The prospect of Kroos and Gundogan in the City midfield had the Etihad faithful salivating. And the apparent inclination of Kroos to re-join Pep had the Sky Blues confident that a deal was in the offing but a bid has reportedly been put on hold due to the apparent wages of the German midfielder. But the fans would be hoping City push on for a deal for this highly coveted player.
JOHN STONES
Another transfer which has been touted as a done deal throughout the summer has inexplicably come to a standstill. City were expected to cough up the £50m valuation conjured up by Everton for their star defender though they felt he was overpriced. But their stance seems to have altered with the City hierarchy getting tough in their negotiations after seemingly learning from their past mistakes in the transfer window. According to latest reports the Blues have tabled a final offer of £40m and put the ball in Everton’s court. With Stones publicly stating his desire to leave the club, it will be interesting to see what Everton do next. But City will be wary of the fact that they need a world-class central defender at any cost this window.
LEROY SANE
Manchester City have been embroiled in a move for this German youngster since the beginning of the transfer window. City believe he has humongous potential and has the ability to develop into a world-beater at their club and they feel his value is going to increase in the coming years. Despite realising his potential is still raw, City are wary of the fact that Bayern plan to sign the player in a year’s time and hence the swift and somewhat controversial decision was taken by the club bosses to go for the player despite his high valuation of £40m. But things seemed to have slowed down as City are going over the nitty-gritty before agreeing to pay this huge amount of money.
There is optimism in the club that under the tutelage of Pep he will get the best exposure and hence the urgency to snap him up this window. Sane has amazing dribbling ability and likes to cut inside and shoot on goal. He has an impressive physique but has to work on his all-round game (which is natural for his age).
