Grading Manchester City on Their 2015 Summer Transfer Window Dealings

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The feeling of disappointment amongst the Manchester City staff and players at the end of last season was palpable.

Six straight wins saw them end the campaign on a positive note, but a spectacular collapse in form at the turn of the year had long removed any cheer at the Etihad. City were expected to compete aggressively for silverware. They failed demonstrably.

Manuel Pellegrini took the brunt of the blame, but the problems ran much deeper. City’s squad has been allowed to regress, with the core of players central to their recent success not properly supplemented. The club’s transfer windows, overseen by Txiki Begiristain, the sporting director, hadn’t been bold or brave enough, with Uefa’s financial fair play initiative hampering their progress perhaps more than many expected.

For Khaldoon Al Mubarak, the club chairman, it simply wasn’t acceptable. Mubarak is a calm, reasoned man, and there would be no knee-jerk reaction, but his bullish post-season address to the City supporters was unequivocal in its message: The squad would be revitalised in the summer ready for a much-improved title challenge in 2015/16.

So far; so good. City have rarely looked quite as well placed to compete aggressively on four fronts. There’s competition for places right across the squad, and with four wins from their first four matches, City find themselves top of the table, eight points ahead of last season’s champions Chelsea. It’s been a flawless start.

Much of the credit must go to Begiristain, who has once again led an organised transfer strategy. In the past, his judgement has been questioned, particularly when restricted by FFP restrictions last summer, but his diligence and ability to lead a professional operation most certainly has never been in doubt. 

Since his arrival at City in 2013, there has been no last-minute flapping on deadline day. It’s been serene and well-planned business, nothing else—a far cry from Roberto Mancini’s final summer window in charge, which was shambolic and completely undermined their attempts to defend the title.

But not only has this window been executed with Begiristain’s usual calmness and serenity, he and Pellegrini also appear to have identified the right type of players to sharpen City’s squad.

Two of the club’s top three targets have been delivered. Paul Pogba may have topped their list of desires, and he has evaded them for now, but both Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne have been delivered.

Sterling has already shown why he was so high up the list of priorities. According to James Robson at the Manchester Evening News, he cost the club an initial £44 million, rising to £49 million if some complicated add-ons are triggered.

Many felt it was steep for a player with some developing to do, but anyone who has seen his impact on the side in the opening four games of the new season are likely to have been convinced he was worth the arduous chase and hefty fee.

City undoubtedly lacked pace last season, and Sterling’s arrival has helped solve the problem. He stretches defences, offers a balance City have rarely had in recent memory and has brilliant, quick feet that bamboozle defenders. 

With counter-attacking football now key to Premier League success, speed on the break is vital. City look the most well-equipped side on the counter in the division, with Sterling having settled superbly and looking key to City’s attacking style.

He’s played primarily on the left so far, but a second-half cameo as a secondary striker in the win over Watford on Saturday, where he scored two minutes after the tactical switch, shows Pellegrini sees him as being capable of operating in a variety of positions. Rarely has one player’s arrival ticked so many boxes.

Sterling, 20, became the most expensive signing in City’s history when he arrived from Liverpool, but De Bruyne’s move from Wolfsburg last week soon eclipsed the England forward’s fee.

De Bruyne cost £55 million, according to BBC Sport. It took an age to get the deal done, with City seemingly refusing to take no for an answer. Wolfsburg had no financial need to sell and would rather have kept the player. Only an astronomical fee like the one they received was going to twist their arm.

But City have their man, a 24-year-old attacking midfielder whose reputation has soared since he left Chelsea for £18 million 18 months ago. His former manager, Jose Mourinho, may have questioned his attitude, but the Bundesliga has been a good home for the Belgian, who arrives at City amidst huge expectation.

He specialises in creating chances for others. Last season he assisted 21 league goals and scored 10 himself. City have signed him on a six-year contract, and they will expect to get De Bruyne’s best years.

Few expected City to sign a big-name defender, given the emergence of Jason Denayer, but Nicolas Otamendi was identified as the man to come in and provide more competition for Vincent Kompany, Eliaquim Mangala and Martin Demichelis.

Otamendi cost City an initial £28.5 million from Valencia (via BBC Sport). Denayer, already a Belgium international, has since been loaned out to Galatasaray for a year in what will surely be one last assignment outside of east Manchester attempting to prepare him for the City first team.

For some, it was a disappointing decision from Pellegrini. There’s a thirst amongst the City fans to start bringing through some youngsters from their much-vaunted academy. It’s been a while since a club with such proud youth development traditions have seen one of their own play regular first-team football. Denayer had been earmarked by many as one to bridge the gap.

But in Otamendi, City have a proven player—the best centre-back in La Liga in 2014/15. He will be expected to challenge Kompany and Mangala, both of whom have started the season superbly.

James Milner’s exit on a free transfer to Liverpool was the only blot on City’s summer transfer copybook, but Fabian Delph, an £8 million arrival from Aston Villa, has replaced his energy and dynamism in midfield. It surely ranks as one of the best bargains of the window.

Delph has been hugely impressive for Villa over the past two seasons, a player whose hard work throughout his career has begun to pay off handsomely. He brings drive and dribbling ability, and although he won’t be an automatic starter, he will surprise a few of the doubters who felt this move was the death knell on his international career.

With promising youngsters Enes Unal (since loaned to Genk) and Patrick Roberts also arriving, City have signed six players and look far stronger for it. They have more options tactically and have added youth and pace to an ageing squad. 

Of course, signing players is just one aspect of the transfer window; offloading those on the periphery is also of vital importance.

Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic have left for Roma and Inter Milan, respectively. Both are loan deals involving significant fees, but permanent moves are likely to follow. It was the best for all concerned, given the paucity of games and goals they both managed last season.

John Guidetti and Micah Richards both finally left, and they can now concentrate on getting their careers back on track after injuries saw them stall at City. Jose Pozo and Devante Cole were also sacrificed after showing nowhere near enough to suggest they could impact the first team regularly. Cole has joined Bradford City and Pozo will now ply his trade in Spain with Almeria.

Marcos Lopes was one academy player many felt was good enough to make the grade in Pellegrini’s senior squad, but with the likes of David Silva, Samir Nasri and De Bruyne blocking his first-team path, the £8.4 million bid from Monaco was seen as too good to turn down.

Scott Sinclair, another who struggled for games after arriving in 2013, also left, signing a permanent deal with Aston Villa. 

City’s outgoings have freed up plenty of wage bill space and allowed Pellegrini to spend more on bringing additional quality in. Too often in the past they have been viewed as a soft touch when selling players but the last 12 months has seen a significant change in tack. 

As Manchester United and other Premier League rivals were left frantically trying to identify the final pieces of their transfer jigsaw right up until the final day, City’s leadership team could sit back and relax as the deadline approached.

Their work was done in a calm, collected manner, with their squad already looking ready for a title challenge. It looks to have been a hugely successful window.

Expect a strong title challenge and an improvement on the club’s Champions League performance. 

Transfer Window Grade: A

 

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report’s lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2015/16 season. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter: @RobPollard.

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