As Things Stand...

Chillwell would be a good buy due to HG status - Always difficult to find English players that are good enough to get in the team. Lucas Digne is another LB who would do well for us. A decent LB frees up Zinchenko to play midfield (or move on).

I think we might go for another striker in the summer. I assume that Aguero will go in 2021 but we might try to avoid having to get one in at the same time he leaves. I think we will be sniffing about this summer, if for no other reason than to start the ball rolling on the 2021 efforts. If we do find a striker this summer than maybe Sergio might leave - it might suit all parties where he could get a last big pay day and we would get a fee. Gabby has done enough to suggest he should have a shot at first choice.
 
nellyonthewing said:
We need to get back to the level of transfer dealings when we got Kun, David ,Fern and Vinny. Not sure we can ever match that but we have made many signings that fall well short.
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In recent years I wouldn't say we have made many/any mistakes really. I guess the big one is Mendy but his injuries were hardly self inflicted and he wasn't a sicknote when we bought him.
 
Gaudion M said:
Chillwell would be a good buy due to HG status - Always difficult to find English players that are good enough to get in the team. Lucas Digne is another LB who would do well for us. A decent LB frees up Zinchenko to play midfield (or move on).

I think we might go for another striker in the summer. I assume that Aguero will go in 2021 but we might try to avoid having to get one in at the same time he leaves. I think we will be sniffing about this summer, if for no other reason than to start the ball rolling on the 2021 efforts. If we do find a striker this summer than maybe Sergio might leave - it might suit all parties where he could get a last big pay day and we would get a fee. Gabby has done enough to suggest he should have a shot at first choice.
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I'm not sure I'm emotionally ready for Aguero, Silva and Fernandinho all to possibly leave in the same summer. I think I'm only just coming to terms with the fact we won't see Silva in next years kit
 
decmancity said:
In recent years I wouldn't say we have made many/any mistakes really. I guess the big one is Mendy but his injuries were hardly self inflicted and he wasn't a sicknote when we bought him.
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If we have made a mistake it was not buying enough, last season not buying a DM, this season not buying backup CB, but Pep has been a canny lad nearly all his buys can be called experienced, and they are less likely to be failures,pretty sure our failure rate obviously depends on you own view but i think it has gone from 2/3 before Pep to 1/3 under Pep
 
So we saw many people say in the summer we didn’t need a defender only to see it go spectacularly wrong for us and yet we’re remarkably still seeing just as many people say we don’t need a silva replacement when he leaves.

Kdb gundogan Foden and Bernardo able to move inside for two positions is almost exactly the same situation we had in the summer with the cb’s.

One injury, let’s say to kdb given his record and we’re down to the bare bones, we will have 3 players for 2 positions, (ring any bells?) what’s more, two of those players would still be needed in other positions, (gundogan in dm and Bernardo right midfield) and the other is a kid that’s inevitably going to need breaks during the season.

The only instance where we don’t need a silva replacement is if Bernardo is moved inside permanently and we bring in another winger instead (on top of potential replacements for outgoing players I.e Sane)

unless that happens, we absolutely need a silva replacement.
 
Gaudion M said:
Chillwell would be a good buy due to HG status - Always difficult to find English players that are good enough to get in the team. Lucas Digne is another LB who would do well for us. A decent LB frees up Zinchenko to play midfield (or move on).

I think we might go for another striker in the summer. I assume that Aguero will go in 2021 but we might try to avoid having to get one in at the same time he leaves. I think we will be sniffing about this summer, if for no other reason than to start the ball rolling on the 2021 efforts. If we do find a striker this summer than maybe Sergio might leave - it might suit all parties where he could get a last big pay day and we would get a fee. Gabby has done enough to suggest he should have a shot at first choice.
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Zinchenko is never in a million years good enough for our midfield.

He has done an admirable job at LB but is nothing more that a squad player and if we do sign Chilwell, Mendy will depart and Zink will become back up.
 
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ninjamonkey said:
So we saw many people say in the summer we didn’t need a defender only to see it go spectacularly wrong for us and yet we’re remarkably still seeing just as many people say we don’t need a silva replacement when he leaves.

Kdb gundogan Foden and Bernardo able to move inside for two positions is almost exactly the same situation we had in the summer with the cb’s.

One injury, let’s say to kdb given his record and we’re down to the bare bones, we will have 3 players for 2 positions, (ring any bells?) what’s more, two of those players would still be needed in other positions, (gundogan in dm and Bernardo right midfield) and the other is a kid that’s inevitably going to need breaks during the season.

The only instance where we don’t need a silva replacement is if Bernardo is moved inside permanently and we bring in another winger instead (on top of potential replacements for outgoing players I.e Sane)

unless that happens, we absolutely need a silva replacement.
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Well you got there eventually Bernardo is Silva`s replacement and Foden the back up, pretty sure Pep will sign an attacking player to take Silva`s squad quota, but it will probably be a player that can play wing/striker regardless of the Sane situation
 
salfordbluetrue said:
Well you got there eventually Bernardo is Silva`s replacement and Foden the back up, pretty sure Pep will sign an attacking player to take Silva`s squad quota, but it will probably be a player that can play wing/striker regardless of the Sane situation
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From the comments, there’s not many suggesting that will happen, they’re simply saying Foden steps up and we go in to next season which would somehow be more farcical than the situation we allowed ourselves to get into this season with the cb’s.

Anyway, I’d hope that’s the case, we all believe Bernardo is much better there and it allows us to add some more badly needed pace into the team out wide regardless of Sane’s situation
 
nellyonthewing said:
We need to get back to the level of transfer dealings when we got Kun, David ,Fern and Vinny. Not sure we can ever match that but we have made many signings that fall well short.
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Are we ignoring then KDB, Bernado, Laporte and Ederson? the only thing separating them from the 4 you named is time at the club
 
I don’t believe Bernardo is Silva’s natural replacement in LM, as he has always been a right sided player. Foden fits that slot more naturally, but one has to wonder if he has the full trust of Pep as a regular starter. Maybe, with another year of growth and development, he will have earned the trust. I hope so. Regardless, we are in no position, as it stands, to lose Bravo, Otamendi, Silva, Fernandinho, Sane and Aguero over the next two seasons...and that’s before anyone decides that Gundogan is getting too old, Mendy is too fragile and Angelino/Zinchenko are not good enough to be steady left sided back ups to whomever plays LB.

Muric, Garcia, Harwood-Bellis, Poveda, Bernabia, Doyle and Braaf are all players who will get Cup time and possibly get some PL bench time, with a cameo here or there. The hope, though, is that Pep will see enough in at least a few of them, to allow them to break through and save us millions. We only know them because we have seen them play, and play well, so one can only hope they can become the homegrown backbone of City 2023/24...with the current world class foreigners, and a few others thrown in to keep us as one of the best teams in the world.
 
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imo to get the balance right we need two new signings: a (potential) world class centre back to replace otamendi, and a (potential) world class left-sided midfielder/left wing to jointly replace silva and sane. so ideally the default league starts' distribution (at centre back/midfield) would be roughly as follows:

centre back: laporte 32, koulibaly/skriniar/soyuncu 32, stones 8, fernandinho 4

defensive mid: rodri 26, gundogan 8, fernandinho 4

right wing: bernardo 26, mahrez 12

right centre mid: de bruyne 32, bernardo 6

left centre mid: aouar 26, foden 12

left wing: sterling 32, aouar 6

if (when) we do suffer multiple long-term first team injuries, i’d trust our squad players - stones, fern, gundogan, mahrez and foden - to provide decent cover in their respective positions.

if sane ends up staying, i'd suggest we sell mahrez instead. then give sterling and sane close to 30 starts each on the wings (similar to 17/18), with bernardo splitting close to 25 starts between right wing and right centre mid.

sane is better and younger than mahrez. but the problems with keeping sane would be 1) it means sterling plays primarily on the right where he's less effective, and 2) our wing backs become less of an attacking threat versus playing with inverted wingers.
 
Get Alderweireld or Vertonghen on a free for a season or two. Garcia and THB might be ready after that
 
we need to get rid of,bravo,nico,mendy,gundo and replace them with quality
 
We need a CB, LB, Midfielder and Striker.

Plus winger if Sane leaves.

Not sure we'll be able to get all that in the summer at the prices the club would want.
 
I don’t hear too many people saying we can’t question the transfer policy anymore. Turns out that buying Mahrez for £60m one summer then not bothering to replace Kompany the next isn’t exactly a winning formula. Not improving the squad is always a mistake. Now we need to buy a backup GK, LB, at least one CB, and at least one attacker this year. Great.
 
as things stand

1 ............2 left backs One to replace Mendy who is utter dog shit and one to replace Angelino who aint good enough to be back up.
2 one possibly two centre forwards (at least in the next 18 months -one to replace Aguero and one to replace Jesus who doesnt seem to show any promise of steppin up as a first choice striker
3. Sell Gindogan and replace him with an all around combative /box to box midfielder
4. Sell Bravo - we need a better number 2
5 a replacement for David Silva????? - is this Foden or is that just blue tinted specs - not sure
6. Two centre halves - one to replace Kompany and one to push for a place in the squad - sell/get rid of Ottomendi

Then you have the issue of both Mahrez being horrendously inconsistnt (and sometimes just horrendous) and Sane wanting out -- s possibly neeing two wide attacking players (B. SIlva is out of position doing this)
 
What I would be looking at:

1. A new number 2 GK. Bravo is absolutely wank and his mere presence in the team drains the confidence from the rest of the 11.

2 Replace Otamendi. This needs to be a 'ready made' with a quality level of a Kompany / VVD / Koulibaly. I would be prepared to spend whatever this takes. Play this new CB with Laporte. Stones 3rd choice and bring the 2 kids through gently.

3. Replace Gundogan. I'd be all over Maddison. Huge upgrade and a much harder working player.

4. Replace Sane (would prefer to keep but if he wants out let him go). I like Gnabry but there are other options out there.

5. Get Mendy properly fit and integrated.

6. Bring in Aguero's eventual replacement. This needs to be a 'ready made' who is top class and fully established. None of this 'potential' bollocks.

No need to directly replace Dave. Bernardo and Foden can do that between them.

Keep Fernandinho 1 more season.

Not sure what to do re Mahrez.

With FFP boxed off we should spend whatever it takes this summer. No fucking about.
 
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