Manchester City Will Be a Frightening Prospect When Pep Guardiola Spends Again
It’s been a bold summer for Manchester City. Not only have they landed the world’s most coveted manager, beating off competition from top clubs across Europe, but they’ve also given their squad a significant facelift.
Whereas City have been accused of lacking ambition in recent transfer windows, Txiki Begiristain, the club’s sporting director, changed tack in the summer. Buoyed by new boss Pep Guardiola’s pulling power, he aimed higher, and City look far better for it.
John Stones and Nolito have already given City additional quality, and goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, despite a difficult debut against Manchester United on Saturday, will have a huge impact on the way City play. Once Ilkay Gundogan and Leroy Sane are bedded in, City will have a new and improved look.
Promising young players, procured from around the world, have also joined the club, with their immediate development being overseen elsewhere. City were accused of having an ageing squad last season, but they now have a group of young players who could form the heart of the team over the coming years.
Stones, Kelechi Iheanacho, Sane, Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Marlos Moreno are all 22 and under—the club's future looks assured.
But they are far from the finished article.
Seven wins from seven games represents an impressive start—the best from any manager in the club’s history—but Guardiola believes his side is way short of the required level.
"Of course, we are so happy for the results, for the numbers and the way we're playing after two months,” he said. "But it is not enough to win the Premier League or achieve the big, big targets in the Champions League."
There have been clear improvements already—City are pressing harder, running farther, passing quicker and generally playing with more verve and vigour—but Guardiola needs at least another summer transfer window to shape the squad the way he wants it.
Too much change in one window can be detrimental. There’s a limit to how many additions a club ideally wants to make. City haven’t ticked off every area that needs strengthening, and they will make another round of transfers next season.
Most obviously, they need to refresh the full-back area. Guardiola is demanding of his full-backs, both tactically and physically. Gael Clichy, Aleksandar Kolarov, Pablo Zabaleta and Bacary Sagna have stepped up and performed well so far—but to simultaneously be the dominant side in English football and become one of Europe’s elite clubs, they need to upgrade.
The problem City may face is the dearth of full-backs who fit the mould. The likes of Jordi Alba and David Alaba, the finest in the game, are few and far between. Guardiola is likely to be on the lookout for defenders who possess pace, power and tactical acumen—those who can affect the game in both halves of the pitch.
They’re a rare breed, but you can bet City’s vast scouting network is doing everything it can to identify some options. Hector Bellerin, of Arsenal, is certainly one option, with his pace and desire to attack a huge asset.
Guardiola may also feel he needs another top-class centre-half, depending on the fitness of Vincent Kompany this season.
The Belgian has endured two years of injury hell, with his calf a constant problem. He’s gone from the best and most consistent defender in the Premier League—the club captain and leader—to a player whose injury record makes him a liability. There are no guarantees he’ll ever play consistently again, and if he does, will he reach the level he achieved before his injuries impacted on his career?
If City can get their inspirational captain back to his best, then the need to find a new centre-back is reduced. But that seems a remote possibility. The 30-year-old has broken down too often after a period of rehabilitation to inspire confidence he could come back as fit and strong as he was in his pomp.
His recovery is being managed carefully. "It's a doctor issue,” Guardiola said. “He has something in his muscle and we believe that was a problem for the many injuries last season. He's getting better, but he [is] a little bit toxic [in his blood]. That's why you have to be a little careful.
"I think it's the last part of that because he is training with the group. When I see him, I say, this guy can play because he's training like Vincent [does]. But the doctor said with what happened in the past, we have to be careful."
According to James Robson of the Manchester Evening News, Guardiola tried to sign Aymeric Laporte this summer, and a deal appeared to be close. However, the 22-year-old opted to remain at Athletic Bilbao and signed a new contract designed to keep him at his club until 2020 that contains a buyout clause that hits €70 million (£59.5 million) in 2018.
It’s possible City will go back in for Laporte. Guardiola clearly rates the youngster, who has impressed with his rise to prominence. He would bring pace, height, strength and a mature reading of the game—for a player of his age, he is remarkably well-developed.
Alongside Stones, whose transition into the City first team has been seamless, Guardiola would have a young and incredibly talented centre-back pairing that could provide his team with defensive stability for years to come.
The midfield could also be in a state of flux come the season's end. When Yaya Toure’s contract expires in June, he is sure to go. Fabian Delph is also likely to be sacrificed.
Toure’s time at City is clearly coming to an end—he’s not even been named in the Champions League squad for the group stage—and Delph hasn’t stepped up and proved he can mix it alongside a higher class of player than he played with at Aston Villa.
Fernando, too, will probably find chances difficult to come by this season. He lacks the dynamism and quality in possession Guardiola desires. He can be functional, and his second-half display at Old Trafford was key to City leaving with all three points, but Guardiola is likely to want better.
Begiristain and City's scouting network will already be identifying players. Another round of spending with the Guardiola effect in full swing will see City move closer to their ideal squad.
Their rivals should be afraid. Guardiola is building something special, and it's their job to try and keep up.
Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and follows the club from a Manchester base. All quotes and information were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Follow him on Twitter @RobPollard_.
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