Manchester City have spent truckloads of cash in recent years and it was given after Sheikh Mansour’s takeover that they would look to take quick strides towards a complete transformation of the club’s stature and fortunes. From mid-table obscurity and relegation jitters to regularly challenging for the title and winning it on 2 occasions and handing out a drubbing to Barcelona in the Champions League. They have come a long, long way.
While there has been numerous path-breaking signings, who have formed the backbone of the team in this era like David Silva, Sergio Aguero, Yaya Toure, Edin Dzeko and a number of others, it should not be overlooked that City have not always had the rub of the green going their way regarding transfers.
For every Fernandinho there has been a Jack Rodwell, for a Yaya Toure there has been a Javi Garcia and for an Ilkay Gundogan, there has a Fabian Delph. Whilst we are not belittling the players, there is a noticeable difference in quality between the lot and this has been a recurrent theme for the Etihad outfit.
And with the team struggling to come to grips with Pep Guardiola’s high-intensity and diverse tactics which this lot of players have never encountered before, there is a need for new faces. And with the squad already bloated there has to be a number of expected exits.
One such player Fabian Delph has been strongly linked with a move to West Bromwich Albion in recent weeks. West Brom have undergone a noticeable change this season and it has got to do more with a change in their manager’s approach rather than their club making any drastic adjustments.
Tony Pulis has focused on a more attacking and dynamic approach and other than a recent drubbing at the hands of high-flying Tottenham Hotspur, they have looked a different side and the results have followed.
But they need to bolster their squad to sustain this display and they need fresh legs to be able to avoid any such scoreline as last weeks’. The central midfield is particularly an area which needs a thorough inspection. With Craig Gardner expected to leave, they have only Darren Fletcher and Claudio Yacob as their other two senior midfielders with Morrison playing mostly as a No.10 this season.
Delph is dynamic, a box-to-box midfielder full of drive and plenty of quality. He offers something different to both captain Fletcher and terrier Yacob and would inject energy into the middle of the park.
The Leeds product might fancy a move which will see him resurrect his career and join a team who are trying to build something special and won’t just be content with a dreary mid-table finish.
