I do find myself suspecting that City are going to dig their heels in over this one. We are two days away from the British transfer deadline (but not the German one). I only check the BBC transfer gossip section and Sky Sports Transfer Centre every day, and I well know there are many other sources. But this stuff goes round through the rumour mill. There is nothing solid about this on either of them. Even if it is Leroy's will to go to Bayern, there's really nothing — not public at least — to indicate that terms have been agreed, or that Bayern are prepared to meet our valuation. Indeed, have they even made a firm offer? If so, it's all been done pretty secretly. That's been seen before, and last minute signings are made every season. But I just do wonder whether this is going to happen.
Furthermore, would it be so very bad if he stayed for another year? People have been saying all summer on this thread, “Leroy wants to go” or “Leroy doesn't want to go”. What do any of us in fact know?
And in any case, a lot of the time, choices are not as binary as that, where jobs are concerned (or indeed where other major life decisions are concerned — like marriage, but we won't get into that). I suggest that it's sometimes an on/off switch, most times not. How many people on here are in jobs where they have a bad day, a run-in with a stupid and incompetent manager, a decision made in a meeting that adversely affects their working conditions, and they think “Fuck it, I'm off”. And then they have a better day, week, and they think “Oh actually, it's not so bad, I can live with it”.
Now Pep is a hard taskmaster. That much is sure. He's not Mr Nice Guy, and he's not paid to be. But he has made it clear, publicly, that there is a place for Leroy, that he rates him. He has been playing him, at least in pre-season. What's to say that Leroy couldn't turn it right round in the coming year, and become an indispensable member of the first team?
