3 Manchester City Players Who Would Benefit from a Loan in 2016/17

Manchester City now have a two-tiered transfer policy that sees their signings fall into two distinct categories.

There are the first-team-ready players—senior stars whose development is largely complete and are immediately considered for Pep Guardiola’s starting XI. 

Then there are the “development players,” young talent from across the world scouted over a long period who continue their progression in the club’s academy setup or on loan in Europe before they are ready for first-team action. Think Oleksandr Zinchenko and Benjamin Garre—two players who have signed for City this summer but are unlikely to be involved in City’s Premier League campaign.

City also need to find loan solutions for many of their academy players. There’s a bottleneck of talent at the City Football Academy right now. While their older academy stars have yet to really be given first-team opportunities, a batch of younger players are coming through behind them to play in the Elite Development Squad. Something has to give.

Guardiola is likely to use one or two of them, with Pablo Maffeo, Angelino, Manu Garcia and Aleix Garcia likely to see more action under the Catalan’s guidance than they did under Manuel Pellegrini. For the others, a temporary switch that allows them to showcase their talent at the senior level is needed.

Finding the right loan moves for these players is key. They need to move to clubs that adhere to City’s values. It’s no good sending academy prospects to teams that play long-ball football or a defensive style.

City’s academy teams, from under-8s right up to under-21s, play an open, possession-based style that mirrors the way in which the first team play. They are committed to playing one way and one way only. It would be counterproductive to ask their youngsters to play any other way.

Here are three players most in need of a loan move this season in order to continue their development and avoid stagnation.

1. Tosin Adarabioyo

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Given the quality of his display against Bayern Munich last week, and his performance against Chelsea in the FA Cup fifth round last season, some may see Tosin Adarabioyo as ready for involvement in Guardiola’s team more regularly.

He’s incredibly talented. For an 18-year-old, his positional awareness and reading of the game is remarkable. He enjoys having possession and likes to start moves from the back. In many ways, he’s ideal for Guardiola: very raw but with huge potential and the kind of attributes the new City boss values.

Realistically, though, first-team chances are likely to be at a premium this season. City have Vincent Kompany, Jason Denayer, Eliaquim Mangala and Nicolas Otamendi on their books already. John Stones and Leonardo Bonucci are targets, per David Anderson of the Mirror. One or two are likely to leave—but it’s a crowded field.

He needs an opportunity to turn his potential into something more permanent. A season-long loan move to a club, preferably in European competition, who play the game the right way is just what he needs.

There are high hopes for Adarabioyo, a Mancunian who has been at the club since the age of nine. He is exactly what City’s leadership team want: talented, homegrown and educated by the club from the earliest possible juncture.

2. Oleksandr Zinchenko

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The arrival of Zinchenko has excited the City fans who saw him play at Euro 2016. He clearly has great technical quality and an understanding of space. He can spot runs and produce incisive passes. He's capable of playing in wide areas or as a No. 10. He also showed enough potential playing for Ukraine this summer to make the £1.7 million City have paid for him to seem like a bargain.

Guardiola selected him for the game in Munich and he produced moments of real quality, providing a link between the midfield and Kelechi Iheanacho, who led the line on his own.

But when all of City’s senior stars are back in the fold, will he find the opportunities he needs to continue improving? City are blessed with plenty of attack-minded midfielders, including David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling, Samir Nasri, Jesus Navas. It’s one of the few areas City have genuine strength in depth.

City now have a link up with NAC Breda, a Dutch Eerste Divisie side who have a five-year partnership agreement with City that will see them loan four to six academy players each season. However, given Zinchenko’s quality, a move to an Eredivisie side, perhaps PSV Eindhoven, who have taken City youngsters in the past, would be preferable. 

3. Angus Gunn

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It’s notoriously difficult to find successful loan moves for young goalkeepers. It’s a position that demands experience—and the danger is a young goalkeeper who completes a temporary switch can easily find himself on the bench. They’d be better off playing games at the academy level, working with coaches who have an acute understanding of the club’s style of play.

Angus Gunn is one of the finest talents in City’s academy, but first-team chances are at a premium. City have Joe Hart, England’s No. 1, to call upon, and Guardiola is likely to bring in another ‘keeper to put pressure on him. Gunn, as mature as he is, will struggle to force his way up the ladder.

Regular football is now needed. A loan move to a Championship side in England or NAC Breda would be ideal. He needs to play in a more physical environment outside of his academy comfort zone to make the necessary improvements to his game.

He’s been a key presence in City’s academy sides. He’s probably maximised his learning at that level of the game. The pressure of playing in front of a demanding set of fans, living and working in a new environment, playing against more powerful strikers—these are key elements in any goalkeeper’s development, and Gunn desperately needs a move to open himself up to new challenges.

Gunn told Bleacher Report back in 2014:

"

I'd like to play for Man City and also England. Obviously, Joe Hart is No. 1 at the moment; he's a great goalkeeper, and he's a great person to look up to for me. But no one can carry on forever, so I'll hope to be there when Joe's not there anymore, and hopefully, I can be England and Man City's No. 1 goalkeeper.

"

He has high expectations for his career. He may need to step outside of the City academy setup to realise them.