Another transfer deadline day has raced past us. After yet another frantic 24 hours of transfer deals, some of which were straightforward, some unexpected but all very exciting; we now head into the new season with all the teams set for the gruelling campaign.
However, a lot of the clubs were left disappointed as some of the deals that were expected to happen, fell through for some reason or the other. Manchester City are the front-runners, as they felt they’ve been conned by Arsenal FC after agreeing on a transfer for Alexis Sanchez, only to see the deal hit a brick wall after Arsenal’s failed negotiations to land Thomas Lemar.
A feeling of betrayal was strong as Manchester City have pressed legal charges against Arsenal FC. Now that all the dust has settled, the Alexis-Man City saga is one that requires close scrutiny.
Pep Guardiola has entered his second season at Manchester City with a ferocious intensity. After spending nearly £200 million in the current transfer window, it was his message to the rest of the footballing world that he does not look forward to another season of averageness.
With the signings of Bernardo Silva, Danilo, Walker, Mendy, Ederson and Douglas Luiz, Pep Guardiola has completely utilized the financial might of City’s rich owners.
One of Manchester City’s most concerning area was their defence. The return of Vincent Kompany does them a world of good as his experience was sorely missed for most of the last campaign. The full-back area is where Guardiola has focused most of his reconstruction on. Kolarov, Sagna, Navas, Clichy and Zabaleta have all been released or sold at the end of last season. The new arrivals of Danilo, Walker and Mendy all point fingers towards a potential change in formation as all three are adept wingbacks. We might see Pep turn up in a 3-4-3 system.
But there are reasons for concern too.
The main one is lack of squad depth. Looking at his summer purchases, there are no out and out attacking options. City have just Aguero and Jesus as the main players up front. Injuries to even one of them will leave Pep with a selection headache, and a possible change of formation. The signing of Alexis could have opened several avenues in attack. Sanchez’s versatility could have helped the Cityzen’s in more than one way. His pace and skill could make him a guaranteed starter at the left side of the three-pronged attack. He has also featured as a central striker for Arsene and could have been another option up top for Pep Guardiola.
However, it might not affect them as much as it seems. Manchester City will come back for the Chilean in January. But will City still be in contention for trophies at that time remains to be seen?
