Transfer thread

[lee]

Might as well start off the gossip.

Rumours that we are heavily linked with Phillips at Leeds,Cucurella at Brighton and today Kieran Tierney at Arsenal..Tierney has always looked tidy to me but injured a lot.

Sounds like Jesus and Sterling are both on the way out.

[gavin]

Don't think that I'd want to lose both Sterling and Jesus. One or the other maybe. A left back and a defensive midfielder seem to be the main requirements. Work needs to be complete soon. Training must start in a couple of weeks now!

[KunDB]

Maybe making room for Alvarez?

[lee]

New left back and replacement for Fern for me.

Chelsea buzzing around Sterling and Laporte!! Also Silva to Barca as mentioned elsewhere..They will need a ton of cash for him.Cant let him go.

[gavin]

No fooking way can Laporte go. Ruben, Laporte, Stones, Ake. If one goes then we need to buy a centre half. Why would we create a new hole to fill?

[KunDB]

Sadly the club and clubs in general have little option but to let players go if they want and best that can be achieved is to get a good transfer fee.

Press is full of crap, so don't believe it. I can see Bernardo, Jesus & Raheem leaving but any more would be a massive overhaul of the squad. Bernardo because he wants out, he wants to go to Barca and they want and desperately need him. Sadly.

[Stephen Paul]

For me Bernie has been superb and needs to stay , plus he hates the dippers

Jesus and Sterling up the road

[Neil Mcnab]

Cucurella deal nearing completion.

[lee]

Cucurella deal nearing completion.

He does look quite good from what i have seen.Looks like Zabba with hair!!

[gavin]

He does look quite good from what i have seen.Looks like Zabba with hair!!

So not as good then

[Neil Mcnab]

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11679/12639927/kalvin-phillips-man-city-agree-transfer-deal-to-sign-england-midfielder-from-leeds-united
Phillips deal agreed? Seems a decent price, a lot to live up to if comparing to Dinho. Darko Gyabi goes to Leeds as part of the deal.

[KunDB]

KP is a really good signing especially for the future.

Our transfer business is going really smoothly this year. I presume just Cucurella to come next week and all set for a good pre-season.

[gavin]

Another one with shite hair. We know how to pick them. Honestly, I've not paid much attention to him as a player and not noticed him stand out like Rice at West Ham. But he would have been double the money. I trust in Pep's judgement.

[lee]

Another one with shite hair. We know how to pick them. Honestly, I've not paid much attention to him as a player and not noticed him stand out like Rice at West Ham. But he would have been double the money. I trust in Pep's judgement.

Be like the hair bear bunch at City next season

[Stephen Paul]

Not so sure about him but in Pep we trust

[Neil Mcnab]

I hadnt thought of the hair aspect but with Cucurella, the hair bear bunch is apt, local barbers will be coining it in, or are they called tonsorial artists for the wealthy.

[lee]

I hadnt thought of the hair aspect but with Cucurella, the hair bear bunch is apt, local barbers will be coining it in, or are they called tonsorial artists for the wealthy.

.
With Philips and Cucurella it will be.Lets hope Jack does not fancy the same doo.

[KunDB]

After Cucurella just one signing to complete. A  very critical and important one, an extension to Guardiola's contract.

[lee]

Jesus is now a gunner..45 million

[gavin]

City have just posted his highlights of the season

https://www.mancity.com/citytv/mens/gabriel-jesus-best-of-2021-22-63791849

He had a very good season. Probably better on the wing than as a striker.

His best moment at City is the goal at Southampton to clinch 100 points. What a lovely finish that was.

[Stephen Paul]

Jesus is now a
gunner..45 million

Will miss him

[lee]

Ake to Chelsea seems to be next and Sterling seems to want to run his contract down.Lets see if City cash in on him.

[Gareth]

Seems like Spurs are about to shell out £50mil to Everton for  Richarlison - if that goes through and Sterling leaves City this window, I certainly hope we won't take any less than Richarlison's price tag, wherever he goes.

[gavin]

I know there's a lot of money in these transfers now but they seem to go at a glacial pace. Jesus still not officially at Arsenal.

[lee]

Phillips photographed in City gear as seen on twitter earlier.

[gavin]

Phillips photographed in City gear as seen on twitter earlier.

That seems to be the new confirmation of signing. They're fitted and kitted before it is announced. Good luck to him.

[Hesperus]

Busy morning.

Jesus confirmed to Arse and Kalvin Phillips officially signed.

[Hesperus]

Good luck to Jesus. I was never sold on him as a striker but he always put the effort in.

Not sure on Phillips, we need a replacement for Dino but I've never been impressed with Phillips when I've watched him play. Seemed a bit slow to me. As with most new players under Pep. He'll need at least a season to settle so won't be judging him too soon. Good luck though Kalvin hope you do the business and win a few titles!

[gavin]

Phillips vid is due and is linked below.

https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/teams/manchester-city/12643989/the-best-of-kalvin-phillips

Some good Fernandinho like stuff in there. Some lovely passes. No sign of the Rodri shots though.

[bbk]

I like the look of this guy. I think he could run Rodri close or play along side him. To me he seems a bit like Gundogan, with added defensive abilities. If we get the LB from Brighton, I think we've nailed this window.

[lee]

I like the look of this guy. I think he could run Rodri close or play along side him. To me he seems a bit like Gundogan, with added defensive abilities. If we get the LB from Brighton, I think we've nailed this window.

Agree...Cucurella will complete the hairbear bunch.

[lee]

Both Sterling and Ake on their way to Chelsea it seems.
I thought Ake was excellent last season when he stepped in.

[bbk]

Again, Ake strengthens Chelsea but doesn't weaken our first team. It does weaken the squad though and, unless we've a youngster capable of stepping in (which we really should), he will need replacing.

[Stephen Paul]

Other clubs must feel like they are pissing in the wind when they see our Financials...

The academy, depth of squad, depth of raw talent that is being fine tuned to first team standards, the multi club network, the scouting system...

And ofc never forgetting that every time they fill up with petrol or diesel or fly it adds to our resources...

[KunDB]

As it doesn't seem to be mentioned before I'll mention the rumour- Neymar to City. Trending on Twitter.

[bbk]

Trending on twitter / being regurgitated by imbeciles. No chance of Pep signing someone like Neymar.

[KunDB]

I cannot really see Neymar as industrious enough for a Pep City side.

It is incredible that having added Haaland and Philips and Alvarez and Stefan and strengthened our team we have about a £30 million pound profit from Ins and Outs this window to date. The academy is working a treat to help City achieve this.

[lee]

Ake staying put.
Happy about that.

[Hesperus]

Neymar rumours have to be 100% BS for sure.

[Neil Mcnab]

Neymar, must be PSG and maybe his agent promoting this. Yesterdays man who doesnt have the right attitude. Who would want the disruptive influence on the squad?  I am sure he will "honour" his contract with PSG.

[Hesperus]

Cucurella signed by Chelsea. Missed out on him due to the transfer fee it seems.

Hope we have other irons in the fire for LB.

[Hesperus]

Also looks like Bernado could be out the door before the end of the window. 🙁

[Gareth]

Cucurella signed by Chelsea. Missed out on him due to the transfer fee it seems.

Hope we have other irons in the fire for LB.

I felt a bit better when I read it was £62mil and City' valuation was £40mil.
If the reason we need a new LB is just as back-up to Cancelo, then surely there's a chance for Ake to step up for that?

[gavin]

It seems like a lot when we were offering £30 million to start with. I did read somewhere that City were making the same mistake that they did with McGuire. Lucky escape then eh.

[bluemax138]

I'm not that bothered that we missed out on Cucurella. He's only had one half decent season in a middling side so the money being asked was absolutely ludicrous. Furthermore it was reported that he preferred a move to City above a move to Chelsea but it is now apparent that what he actually preferred was to be not at Brighton.
I'm surprised we didn't make more of an effort to keep Zinchenko but I the position can be covered from within the squad and the available evidence would suggest that Wilson-Esbrand could plug the gap given time.

[gavin]

Pep does seem to mention Josh very prominently in his list of potentials for the position. I expect we'll be seeing a lot of him this season.

I don't think Cucurella got the option of coming to City in the end. No fee agreed with the club then no choice for him. Bit like Ronaldo last summer. All the talk of him being persuaded to go to United instead of City. But City never agreed a fee because they didn't want to pay anything to the club for him.

[silvablue]

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/american-football/man-city-stance-on-bernardo-silva-transfer-amid-reports-barcelona-have-fee-agreed/ar-AA10tJxk 

Reports that Barcelona have agreed fee for Bernardo.

As per Spanish journalist Gerard Romero, via City Xtra, the two clubs have now agreed on a price for the midfielder, believed to be around €50-€55m (£42m-£46.5m).

[Gareth]

I don't really understand how Barcelona do their business. Today I was reading (in The Guardian ) that La Liga won't let them register their new players because they don't have enough "real" money, but here they are spending another £50mil. Ok, they sell off their tv rights for years into the future so as  to buy players now... it seems to be legal, but it doesn't sound sustainable (to me). I can just imagine the reaction if City started behaving like this.

[Gareth]

This is the article I was reading

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/aug/08/barcelona-blocked-by-la-liga-from-registering-new-players-before-season

[Gareth]

If I was City, I don't think I'd be taking any cheques from Barcelona. I'd want the money in a Prince Charles style, carrier bags full of used tenners, thank you very much.

[silvablue]

Barcelona board approved 4 tranches of fund raising, the 4th only needed if LaLiga did not agree with their accounting manoeuvre, which they didn't.

So to be able to get players registered on time and to buy Bernardo they needed to trigger the 4th tranche of money raising, which they have.

Good business, if you think gambling with the clubs future is a good thing to do. I certainly do not. Catastrophe looms imo.

[gavin]

I'm not really arsed where Barca get their money from. As far as I'm concerned if clubs operate within the law and pay their bills as promised then that is up to them. Selling future TV rights is quite common. In fact I think City have done similar more than once. I'd like to hear what Snr Tebas has to say about all this though.

I have a big problem with Bernard leaving. He should stay with the best team in the land and all the world.

[bbk]

I get letting 'want-away' players leave, it makes sense. What I don't like is, as with Sane, we seem to sell them well below market value. Bernie is worth 80-90 million, by my reckoning.

[gavin]

It looks like we'll be signing a young left back recommended by Vinny

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/man-city-transfer-news-sergio-gomez-b2143042.html

[Gareth]

Well, couldn't get a better recommendation...

[gavin]

Pep said in his presser today that the lad is coming to go straight in the first team squad and compete with Joao and Josh for the left back position.

[gavin]

The second part of Pep's presser was just posted and he says that we are done in the transfer window unless someone leaves. He reiterated that he wants Bernie to stay. Plus no further left back will be bought.

[Hesperus]

So we're done in the transfer window. How do we think we did? Stronger, weaker or about the same squad?

Fractionally stronger I think because we have bought real quality but we've sold or released more "good" players so the first team squad is smaller. It'll be interesting to see how the season develops and the new style we play. Still worry about LB though. 🙂

[Neil Mcnab]

I say stronger, players who have gone wanted or needed to move on and we were in profit. 

[reddishblue]

Did Bernard say goodbye today?

[gavin]

We're stronger for me, much stronger up front. Bloody hope Bernard stays though.

[KunDB]

We're stronger for me, much stronger up front. Bloody hope Bernard stays though.

I second that.

[reddishblue]

His after match reaction kind of said it. I too hope the fuck not.

[KunDB]

What was that the media 'expert' commentators were saying about Nunez being a better transfer than Haaland, after the Charity Shield?

Certainly very professional at head butting and getting red cards, if that's what they meant.

[Kilkenny Blue]

What was that the media 'expert' commentators were saying about Nunez being a better transfer than Haaland, after the Charity Shield?

Certainly very professional at head butting and getting red cards, if that's what they meant.

That wasn't a headbutt apparently 

Scousers calling out Anderson for doing what Robertson does every game    Is there a bigger bunch of hypocrites than scousers?

[bbk]

Bernardo staying!, it seems!!!! 

[gavin]

I thought it was all over but there are links all over the place about us potentially singing a defender from Dortmund. With Laporte and Ake struggling with injury maybe we will swoop again.

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12685382/manchester-city-in-talks-to-sign-borussia-dortmund-centre-back-manuel-akanji

[KunDB]

I can't see another CB being signed before the transfer window close by City. I'll be very surprised if this does happen. If it does I think it's intended to send a wake up call to our current sleepy defenders who have been pretty woeful of late. 

[Hesperus]

Akanji signed. 15 mill, 5 year deal. Seems like good business. Last year of his contract hence the fee. Quite quick apparently which is good.

All our CBs have regular  injury problems so good to get some more cover with the CL games coming up.

[KunDB]

Surprised as I am, because Pep likes a very small squad, I think it is a very good move. Our CBs need a shake up and a threat to their position could well provide that as well as providing good injury cover for them, as they have proved somewhat injury prone lately.

[Neil Mcnab]

5th choice CB, unless one is going soon?

[gavin]

If he does better than the others in training then he will soon be 1st choice. Look how quickly things have changed for Ake. He would have been let go in the summer if the price was right. Then he started the season and was in good form and was keeping his place in the side through it. Now injured yet again and out. I think him being injury prone is one of the reasons that we swooped. Along with Laporte still being out.

[gavin]

An excellent window I think. Well done City.

[KunDB]

On paper, it certainly does look like a very good transfer window for City.

On the pitch after just 5 games it looks even better than that.