Hugo Viana: City tracking 650,000 players but data has limits

City’s data model goes considerably further than producing a list of possible signings, with players separated according to the jobs they perform on the pitch so the recruitment team can search for a particular type rather than simply a position.

Full-backs, for example, can be categorised as defensive, inside or high-and-wide depending on how they play. City can then search for somebody with the characteristics required by the manager, an approach that has some similarities with the mathematical profiles used in modern scouting.

Andrea Cambiaso is one example of how that process can identify a player without necessarily resulting in a transfer. The Juventus full-back appeared as a potential option through City’s model, but the club ultimately decided not to pursue a deal.

Jeremy Doku’s arrival from Rennes in 2023 shows what can happen when City do act on the information. Pep Guardiola wanted a direct winger with some of the characteristics Leroy Sane had brought to his side, and the model was used to search for players fitting that description before Doku was eventually signed.

Viana explains why Man City still rely on scouts

For all the technology involved, Hugo Viana insists City’s recruitment isn’t run by an algorithm.

“That is why we study data insights but focus on the expertise of our scouts and other specialists,” he said.

Data can reduce the number of players City need to consider, but scouts still watch potential signings and gather information that can’t be found in their numbers. A statistical match doesn’t automatically make somebody a suitable signing, as City’s decision not to proceed with Cambiaso demonstrates.

The system has become part of a recruitment operation that has overseen considerable change at the Etihad, particularly during the summer following Enzo Maresca’s arrival. City’s new-look side has since started the season strongly, with some of those changes already evident in the recent Sunderland game covered in our head-to-head preview analysis.

Viana’s description also removes some of the mystery from City’s use of data. It can identify players with the required characteristics and help shorten the list, but the club’s scouts and recruitment staff still decide whether somebody is worth pursuing.

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