City newbies showing their worth to Pep
MOST RECENT ADDITIONS ALL SHINING FOR THE BLUES
IN the past three summers, City have been criticised for their transfer activity. Or to be more specific, their inactivity.
In Pep Guardiola’s first two windows, the focus was on overhauling the defence and adding big names in attack. But after winning the Premier League in 2018, the Blues’ only incoming signing was Riyad Mahrez from Leicester for £60m.
It was a fee that was widely considered to be higher than the Algerian was probably worth, even though he was a title winner in his own right and at the peak of his career.
Aside from that, City decided to stick with a winning team.
A year later, after another league win, the Blues struggled to replace Vincent Kompany, but did end a year-long search for a new defensive midfielder and upgraded Danilo to Joao Cancelo.
Last summer, it looked like Kalidou Koulibaly would become the second centre-back target to slip through City’s fingers in as many summers until Ruben Dias arrived and Nicolas Otamendi moved in the other direction to Benfica.
Three months later, and Dias has missed just two games in the heart of Guardiola’s defence, with eight goals conceded in 17 games.
Similarly, Rodri has been indispensable to the Blues, justifying why the club waited a year to make him their chosen long-term successor to Fernandinho.
Now, Rodri is keeping the Brazilian out of the team.
Another key man this season has been Cancelo, with 14 starts and two substitute appearances in 18 games since his first appearance of the campaign following an early injury.
Whether on the right or left of defence – or even as a makeshift No.8 – the Portuguese has done what Danilo never could and offered Guardiola a consistent, versatile option to keep Kyle Walker and Benjamin Mendy on their toes.
City have viable, long-term options in three key positions – fullback, centre-back and defensive midfield. All three have been crucial to the Blues’ consistent defensive improvement this season, which
has seen the side recover from a shaky start to be back in touch with the chasing pack. For all the criticism of Guardiola’s defensive record, his options at the back are finally looking solid again.
Add the versatility of Nathan Ake to continue pushing the first-choice options across the back line, and the investment in defence looks to be paying off.
In attack, as well, the money spent on Mahrez has given Guardiola a consistent outlet on the right when the manager will rotate Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus across the other forward positions.
Finally, in Ferran Torres, the £20m spent has already saved City this season as he has filled in well as a striker when Jesus and Sergio Aguero have been out.
When he returns to his natural wing position, he will be full of confidence and looks to be one of the bargains of recent times.
So the next time City wait to replace a key position, the evidence shows the player who eventually comes in will be the perfect fit.
Now, as the Blues look to march up the table in the new year, they will be led by the very players whose arrivals were questioned not too long ago.