Maybe we've changed our transfer policy?

[ChicagoBlue]

Think the days of being held hostage are over, and the idea is to buy the best YOUNG talent possible at the earliest opportunity possible. Not only does this create net gains on transfers, but allows us to skim the cream after seeing how they develop while out on loan.

As for Stones, I think that LAST YEAR he may have been worth the punt, but THIS YEAR Everton are taking the piss! He is a player who can't get a game for England, yet they are asking British transfer record money for him? Mental! Plus, I don't rate him as record transfer money. We have THREE very talented young central defenders already, not including the established three already in the first team squad. All three of them can be squad players without taking a squad position, so I don't really see the need to splash record fees on players who have not been performing.

Stones wants to come and Everton are trying to squeeze cash out of us. It's time to give them our last and final offer, tell the player he is wanted, but not at any stupid price, and let the chips fall where they may. We overpaid for Mangala, but I hope Pep can make something of him, because he has all the attributes to be the first beast defender we have had on the order of Dave Watson since the great man himself!

Sane is slightly different. He is highly valued by all, and will not demand a high wage (by City star player standards), so there is a trade off against his weekly packet. Also, he can score goals, which is the hardest task in football, and what wins games! That said, we shouldn't be bent over by anyone!

Time for City to be who they want to be...and time for Pep to prove he is who the world thinks he is.

The future is blue!

 

[The Light Was Yellow Sir]

Near perfection? You need to look at the league table. We haven't signed anyone, KDB excepted, in the last 4 years, who'd be wanted by the truly elite teams in Europe. Our transfer policy, post-2012 has been piss=poor. If you think signing the likes of Maicon, Garcia, Delph etc is some long-term master-stroke that's suddenly going to elevate us to the Barca/Real level, I'm afraid you're very much mistaken. Playing out brilliantly? Aye, 4th place behind Leicester, Spurs and Arsenal - utter genius. I'm glad you love it. I'd rather we smash the transfer market, and sign the best. We have the money. Let's get fleeced. All the way to the title.

Trouble with this is that we're not even fishing in the same pond as the elite clubs you mention. Nobody in the PL is either. If you think of the few top class players out there, English clubs are very much in the second choice list, after Madrid, Barca and Munich. PSG are attractive as they guarantee cash, medals and CL. The reality is that the PL clubs are only able to sign players that those three clubs don't want to sign and it's nothing to do with smashing transfer records. Then, if England is an option, we become one of 6-7 clubs (including PSG) interested, all with different reasons for players choosing where to go. The only way we can join the 'top table' is by challenging for the title and looking like we could win the CL, every season.

 

[Gordyola]

The one single factor is squad limit rules! They have crept up on us and others and limit what you can do. What we haven't seen yet is a big name player excluded from a squad but that will happen to someone and it is a lose lose situation!

Then the club would loose out with the player being able to cancel the contract due to non playing clause. But it could also open up the possibility of the squad limit being challenged in law due to effectively being a restraint of trade of the the player

 

[TrueBlueMike]

Think the days of being held hostage are over, and the idea is to buy the best YOUNG talent possible at the earliest opportunity possible. Not only does this create net gains on transfers, but allows us to skim the cream after seeing how they develop while out on loan.

As for Stones, I think that LAST YEAR he may have been worth the punt, but THIS YEAR Everton are taking the piss! He is a player who can't get a game for England, yet they are asking British transfer record money for him? Mental! Plus, I don't rate him as record transfer money. We have THREE very talented young central defenders already, not including the established three already in the first team squad. All three of them can be squad players without taking a squad position, so I don't really see the need to splash record fees on players who have not been performing.

Stones wants to come and Everton are trying to squeeze cash out of us. It's time to give them our last and final offer, tell the player he is wanted, but not at any stupid price, and let the chips fall where they may. We overpaid for Mangala, but I hope Pep can make something of him, because he has all the attributes to be the first beast defender we have had on the order of Dave Watson since the great man himself!

Sane is slightly different. He is highly valued by all, and will not demand a high wage (by City star player standards), so there is a trade off against his weekly packet. Also, he can score goals, which is the hardest task in football, and what wins games! That said, we shouldn't be bent over by anyone!

Time for City to be who they want to be...and time for Pep to prove he is who the world thinks he is.

The future is blue!

That implies we've made an offer!! All I've seen is bloody imminent!

 

[Gareth Barry Conlon]

Then the club would loose out with the player being able to cancel the contract due to non playing clause. But it could also open up the possibility of the squad limit being challenged in law due to effectively being a restraint of trade of the the player

Agreed, it would be a right mess. We have been there with Zuculini but he was never guaranteed a first team spot.

It would be interesting to see how all the other English clubs are doing, the rag in work counted 19 foreingers for them so they are up to the limit and need to sell, Liverpool also appear to have a big squad. Would be interesting to see some proper journalism on this subject!

 

[Citizen in Pakistan]

Our hand was forced by ffp and for the long term future of the club, its good that it happened.