Ever since Sheikh Mansour’s takeover in the Summer of 2008, Manchester City have always been present in the transfer window, the signing of Robinho on deadline day of the 2008 summer transfer window showed that Manchester City were now going to be major players in European football. Manchester City have gone on to make signings which have proven vital to the club’s success. The likes of Yaya Toure and David Silva were signed by Mancini in 2010 along with Aguero who signed for the Blues in 2011. These players have become crucial parts of the team and their success in recent years.
The success that City have experienced in recent years has been influenced by the signings made to build a strong foundation for success and now City have won an FA Cup, a League Cup and two Premier League titles, the focus is now starting to turn towards the Champions League, a competition which City have not performed well in. With the additions made to the squad during this summer’s transfer window however there are clear signs that Pellegrini now has players to dominate both English and European football.
Manchester City’s transfer window kicked off with the pursuit of Raheem Sterling from Liverpool. Several bids were rejected before City finally got the England star for £44 million (with a potential £5 million in add ons). Judging from the first four matches, it is clear to see that Sterling has added an extra dimension to the team leaving opponents confused as to which player to be marked, himself or Silva. This has resulted in some pressure being taken off Silva as he has been able to freely roam the area behind the striker resulting in some beautiful passes, some of which have led to goals. It is evident that the partnership of Sterling and Silva will be one which is vital this season and in the many seasons to come.
The amount of homegrown players in the squad is something which City have been criticised for when it came to their success, with phrases such as ‘buying the title’ often thrown around. But in order to build homegrown talent, the facilities have to be able to produce this talent. Now with the completion of the CFA, the new Manchester City academy, homegrown talent will be on its way. However, Manchester City have made some English acquisitions in order to meet UEFA’s requirements for the Champions League.
Fabian Delph’s signing was one full of chaos and confusion. City met the midfielder’s £8 million release clause, the player however declared his commitment to Aston Villa. A few days later he was then spotted taking his medical in Manchester and his signing was later confirmed. Despite all this confusion, this will be a success or a failure for Delph as he will now be competing for a place in the starting XI alongside the likes of Toure and Silva to name a few. Patrick Roberts was another Englishman signed by Manchester City for an undisclosed fee. This player is clearly one which City are looking to develop as he has not made a competitive appearance for the Blues and will be one to look out for in future seasons to come.
Nicolas Otamendi is a player who was originally linked with Manchester United, but eventually made the move to the blue side of Manchester with a fee of £32 million from Valencia. There were rumours of Mangala being part of the loan deal to Valencia, but with Mangala performing so well in the first four matches, many City fans do not know how he will get into the team. Again, we will have to wait and see as to how Otamendi will fit into the Manchester City lineup.
Furthermore, Kevin De Bruyne was a player being pursued by many top European clubs including Bayern Munich and towards the end of the transfer window it seemed City had given up. Then, with a few days left City looked to have got their man with a fee of £55 million on a six-year contract and announced his signing during the bank holiday weekend. Many football fans across the country are hoping that De Bruyne flourishes at City in order to prove Jose Mourinho wrong for selling him to Wolfsburg.
This summer transfer window for Manchester City has clearly shown that City are looking towards European domination and with these superstar additions to the squad City fans are hugely excited to see how they fit in. Manchester City now have one of the best squads in the world, now it is time to see whether they can perform.
