Marvin thread? Marvin thread.
Pep has said on numerous occasions that he intends to upgrade, via signings, our defense. He even said it would be one area he would have made signings for in January, should the right players have been made available.
In fact, the club wanted to do just that last summer. Two of our targets, Bonucci and Laporte, both backed out late in the game (literally the 11th hour in Laporte's case) and left City with little options. That wasn't Pep's fault. He clearly pinpointed who he wanted and the club failed to bring them in. It's obvious the same mistakes are unlikely to be made again and it shouldn't surprise anyone if the same names come up only with offers that their respective clubs simply can't refuse.
Where would Ali play? He's basically a second striker at Spurs, and the only obvious person he'd replace in our lineup is De Bruyne - and I can't see that happening.
0% chance of KDB being replaced by anyone. I'd imagine Silva would be a more likely candidate in the long term, but Alli is not a target and I don't think he will be one in the near future either.
Ali is someone you have to try for, if available IMO.
I agree to an extent, but I feel he's down the pecking order of the City Dream/Wish List behind Dybala and Messi. These two the club makes a world record transfer fee run on. Alli, not so much.
Ok, next question. Is there anyone at the club who is able to find better defenders because it seems to me that people have been saying "we just need better defenders" for a few years now, we've bought a fair few for a lot of money and we are still saying the same thing.
We are still playing Clichy, Sagna, Kompany and Kolarov. Nothing has changed at all.
Five and sometimes six of the outfield players at any given game all played under Mancini in 2012. No other top team has a squad like this and it's untenable.
A massive clearout is coming this summer the likes of which hasn't been seen at City for years.