Grading Txiki Begiristain's Signings at Manchester City
The director of football model is still relatively new to the English game, and people remain suspicious of it. Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger are seen as archetypal Premier League managers.
Ferguson didn’t allow anyone to interfere during his 26-year reign at Manchester United and took control of everything related to the first team, just as Wenger continues to do at Arsenal.
Because of their successes and seeming beliefs that meddling from above would undermine them, English football fans have often carried a dislike for the more European setup that sees a director of football work in tandem with a first-team coach and often make decisions for them.
Manchester City have operated with a director of football model for some time, and in October 2012, Txiki Begiristain replaced Brian Marwood and became the club’s main transfer strategist. The idea is he takes the burden of signing players away from the manager, who is then free to concentrate on preparing the team properly.
It is also supposed to encourage long-term thinking. Whereas a manager can often be fearful of the sack and in need of immediate results, a director of football is more secure in their position and looks to bring in players who fit a particular philosophy.
The model certainly has its merits. Football clubs are too big to have the football side run solely by one person, and a manager lasting 26 years, as Ferguson did at United, seems unlikely to happen again.
But how has Begiristain done at City? Here we look at his signings in order and grade them on their respective impacts. A player is judged on his performances and the success he has had, relative to his cost.
Fernandinho: Signed from Shakhtar for £30M
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He’s perhaps been Begiristain’s best signing and has certainly been the most consistent. Fernandinho, at £30 million, has proved to be a bargain despite suggestions when he signed that he was overpriced and underprepared for life in the Premier League, having never played in one of Europe’s top divisions.
He has brought remarkable drive, energy and quality to the team. He was vital in helping City to their first league-and-cup double in his debut season, and other than a dip in form at the beginning of the 2014/15 campaign after a miserable World Cup in his home country, Brazil, he’s been remarkably consistent.
Manager Pep Guardiola has used him regularly so far this season and appears to agree with the City fans that Fernandinho is key to the side and almost undroppable.
Grade: A*
Jesus Navas: Signed from Sevilla for £14.9M
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A much-maligned player for his inconsistent deliveries, Jesus Navas has faced some harsh criticism during his time at City.
But the fact is he was a bargain in today’s market. For just under £15 million, City bagged themselves one of the game's most hardworking right-wingers, who brought pace and width to a side in dire need of both.
Not world class but a useful player nonetheless, he remains involved in his fourth season at the club.
Grade: B-
Stevan Jovetic: Signed from Fiorentina for £22M
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This one was a disaster. Stevan Jovetic was heralded as one of the best young talents in Europe when he joined in July 2013. At City, injury and maddeningly inconsistent form saw him fail spectacularly before moving back to Italy with Inter Milan in 2015.
He managed just 11 goals in two full seasons.
Grade: E
Alvaro Negredo: Signed from Sevilla for £16.5M
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Rarely has a player's form collapsed so dramatically.
Alvaro Negredo was superb for six months at City, scoring 23 goals in his first 33 games and forming a wonderful partnership with Sergio Aguero.
However, he failed to score from January 2014 onward and looked completely shorn of confidence.
Begiristain sold him at a profit, though. After a yearlong loan spell with Valencia, he joined the Spanish club permanently for £22 million in 2015.
On that basis alone, he was a hit.
Grade: B-
Martin Demichelis: Signed from Atletico Madrid for £3.5M
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Martin Demichelis was probably more of a Manuel Pellegrini signing—but it was completed under Begiristain’s watch.
After initial struggles with injury and acclimatising to English football, he was superb as City won the 2013/14 Premier League title.
He was then a beacon of consistency in a turbulent back four the following season. His final year saw a dramatic decline, but age catches up with us all.
A superb signing.
Grade: B+
Fernando: Signed from Porto for £12M
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Fernando has rarely impressed in his two-and-a-bit seasons at City.
He lacks pace and passing quality and has sometimes been overwhelmed when sides play at a high tempo.
Off the bench, he can be a useful player, shutting down the opposition and adding defensive solidity to the side.
But he has failed to improve City's overall quality and remains on the fringes of the first team.
Grade: C-
Bacary Sagna: Signed from Arsenal on a Free Transfer
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It’s difficult to go wrong with a free transfer. Bacary Sagna's first year saw him struggle to get into the first team, with Pablo Zabaleta very much Pellegrini’s No. 1, but he eclipsed the Argentinian last season and was one of City’s most consistent players.
Grade: B-
Willy Caballero: Signed from Malaga for £6M
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His 2016 Capital One Cup final heroics aside, Willy Caballero has rarely looked a top goalkeeper for City.
He doesn’t command his area and struggles with crosses, his shot-stopping is nowhere near the level required and his footwork, which was much heralded during his time in Spain, never fills you with confidence.
Grade: D
Bruno Zuculini: Signed from Racing Club for £3M
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Bruno Zuculini is on his fifth loan spell since arriving at the club in the summer of 2014.
He may yet prove to be a shrewd signing—but we’ve seen little sign that'll be the case.
Grade: E
Eliaquim Mangala: Signed from FC Porto for £42M
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Begiristain’s most disastrous signing to date came in the form of Eliaquim Mangala.
On the surface, it’s easy to see why Begiristain was attracted to Mangala. Strong, quick and athletic—he appears to have everything a defender needs to excel.
But he struggles reading the game and is poor with the ball at his feet. Guardiola took one look and sent him on loan to Valencia this summer.
It’s doubtful he’ll play for the club again.
Grade: F
Wilfried Bony: Signed from Swansea for £28M
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Not far behind Mangala in the disaster stakes is Wilfried Bony, whom Begiristain signed from Swansea City for £28 million in January 2015.
He struggled from Day 1, with his lack of movement his biggest downfall in a side that plays pass-and-move football at pace.
He has scored 10 in 46 appearances for the club and is spending this season on loan at Stoke City.
Grade: E-
Raheem Sterling: Signed from Liverpool for £44M (rising to £49M)
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He had a difficult second half of last season, but it was plain to anyone who had seen him during his opening few months at City and his time at Liverpool that City had made a good decision signing Raheem Sterling.
He has searing pace, superb dribbling ability and, when he’s confident, goes at teams and frightens them.
He managed 11 goals last season, a decent haul, and he already has five in 10 games this season, looking like a player reborn.
Grade: B- (that will no doubt improve over time)
Fabian Delph: Signed from Aston Villa for £8M
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Fabian Delph arrived at a bargain price—£8 million in today's market is a snip—and started well. However, niggling injuries disrupted him first season, a theme that has been continued this term.
He doesn't look up to the standard City need, but given his fee, he was a low-risk acquisition.
Grade: D+
Patrick Roberts: Signed from Fulham for a Fee That Could Reach £12M
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It's difficult to grade Patrick Roberts on his City career. He has been limited to just three appearances from the bench.
However, his form on loan at Celtic has been more than encouraging. He joined them in January on an 18-month deal and has looked superb.
He can beat players with ease in one-against-one situations and has brought a new dimension to Celtic's attack.
Grade: C- (but set to rise)
Kevin De Bruyne: Signed from Wolfsburg for £54M
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Remember when people said City had overpaid for Kevin De Bruyne?
No one in their right mind would say that now. He's been superb since arriving last summer and is arguably the Premier League's best player.
Boiling his contribution down to statistics doesn't do him justice, but this one stands out. Only Lionel Messi (34) has more assists than KDB (33) in Europe’s top five leagues since 2014/15.
Vitally important and, at 25, a player who can improve further.
Grade: A*
Nicolas Otamendi: Signed from Valencia for £28.5M
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One of the hardest players to judge on this list is Nicolas Otamendi.
His City career can best be described as hit-and-miss, with his recklessness and poor positional sense often undermining his athleticism and bravery.
When he gets it right, he looks excellent, but he too often lets himself down.
Grade C+
This Summer's Signings
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It's probably too early to grade this summer's acquisitions—but here are some assessments anyway.
John Stones: £47.5M from Everton
John Stones has settled incredibly quickly. Already the main man in Guardiola's back four, he's the young, ball-playing centre-half the new City boss craved.
He could be a great player for the club in the coming years.
He's been fantastic.
Grade: A
Claudio Bravo: £15M from Barcelona
Despite what some have tried to say, goalkeeper Claudio Bravo has made an excellent start to life at City.
His ball-playing style comes with risk attached—but it's risk that could bring huge rewards.
Solid start and more to come.
Grade: B
Ilkay Gundogan: £21M from Borussia Dortmund
A bargain. Ilkay Gundogan is a superb player, the kind whose passing can knit a team's play together.
City did well getting him.
Flashes of brilliance.
Grade: B
Leroy Sane: £37M from Schalke
Leroy Sane, 19, has been eased in to life at City since his summer move. He's played three times in the Premier League, all from the bench, and also came on against Borussia Monchengladbach in the Champions League, brilliantly creating a goal for Kelechi Iheanacho.
Very little to go off, and he will get much better.
Grade: C
Nolito: £13M from Celta Vigo
Seen as a somewhat underwhelming acquisition, Nolito has already shown why Guardiola was so keen to land him.
He's comfortable in possession and usually takes the right option when he has the ball. He may lack pace, but he's one step ahead in his mind.
Three goals, two assists and a red card—it's been an eventful start. So far, so good.
Grade: B+
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