It's Quiet 18 - Wanna ring the bell?

[Dialog]

Must admit, I thought Kovacic was older than 29.

He looks older. Close to retirement older!

 

[Semper aggressus]

City, like in the past, pounces on bargains if they see it. Kovacic for 30 ish mil is a bargain in todays market.

No point buying a bargain if it’s not even as good as what you already have. Kovacic is an Aston Villa level signing.

 

[TrentGrisham]

Kovacic isn’t as good as Rice or Bellingham is he?

Hope we’re not worried about ffp and going for the cheap midfield option. Things are cheaper for a reason.

City are pretty much dominating this league, with the best manager in the world, and will be favourites again for every trophy next season too. We’re a hell of a draw for any player, why aren’t we after the very best available?

Kovacic isn't even better than James Maddison IMO.

If we're talking about Pep coaching up a player with untapped potential then we should be going for Maddison who would potentially be cheaper and is much younger. Maddison has had multiple good performances vs City with far less quality around him than Kovacic.

 

[DeBlueLou]

No point buying a bargain if it’s not even as good as what you already have. Kovacic is an Aston Villa level signing.

That's just not true, haha! For squad depth in the level of quality Kovacic is, its a massive bargain.

 

[Coatigan]

Yeah, Kovacic, Guerreiro and Gvardiol won't take that much time to finish once the final is done... Anyone bigger than that would take time though, but that depends on sales.

Depends on who is leaving and when. No way we sign Gvardiol, before a CB leaves. If it is Laporte leaving, depends on how long till a deal foelr him is agreed.

 

[balotelli's back pocket]

So, assuming that Laporte, Cancelo and Bernardo go, and Gundo stays:

Laporte -> Gvardiol
Cancelo -> Guerreiro
Bernardo -> Bellingham? Or someone of that calibre.

Looking at the squad, target #3 is surely either a Phillips replacement (Rice/Lavia) or a winger (Palmer loaned out). Possibly a long term Walker replacement if Pep thinks Rico is a midfielder, although Akanji and Stones would probably give us enough cover there.

However, if Kovacic is coming in as an extra body, I can see us being more willing to give Phillips one more year.

Two big question marks there:

1. Who's the Bellingham alternative?
2. Who are we looking at out wide?

 

[Don Karleone]

He looks older. Close to retirement older!

Think we'd all look older playing for Chelsea recently.

 

[DeBlueLou]

Depends on who is leaving and when. No way we sign Gvardiol, before a CB leaves. If it is Laporte leaving, depends on how long till a deal foelr him is agreed.

I do think City already know Laporte wants to go and wont wait around for him to leave first.

 

[blueparrot]

Kovacic isn’t as good as Rice or Bellingham is he?

Hope we’re not worried about ffp and going for the cheap midfield option. Things are cheaper for a reason.

City are pretty much dominating this league, with the best manager in the world, and will be favourites again for every trophy next season too. We’re a hell of a draw for any player, why aren’t we after the very best available?

We’re after the players we want to be after. Our record shows we’re usually right. Who else was after Gundogan, or Bernardo, when we bought them, they weren’t the big shiny names then. For what we want he’s better than Rice, and is better than Bellingham now, maybe not better than Bellingham will be.

 

[Semper aggressus]

I assume you said similar about Aké, Akanji etc.?

There weren’t really world class players in their position available then though, but now there is Rice and Bellingham yet we’re after Kovacic. Not really improving the team that. If Gundogan or Bernie leave it’d be weaker, Kovacic isn’t as good as either.

 

[Gumzy97]

 

[CADE MCFC 1894]

Big up tolmie
Got haaland,Jack and kdb before every one knew
Gvardiol soon
Kovacic soon
Bellingham soon
Guerreiro soon

 

[Coatigan]

Signing a Croatian in time for the Champions League final, smart

He wouldn't be in the side for the final even if he signed tonight.

 

[joe123]

Kovacic isn't even better than James Maddison IMO.

If we're talking about Pep coaching up a player with untapped potential then we should be going for Maddison who would potentially be cheaper and is much younger. Maddison has had multiple good performances vs City with far less quality around him than Kovacic.

Not even remotely the same type of player

 

[Chopper2115]

Kovacic isn’t as good as Rice or Bellingham is he?

Hope we’re not worried about ffp and going for the cheap midfield option. Things are cheaper for a reason.

City are pretty much dominating this league, with the best manager in the world, and will be favourites again for every trophy next season too. We’re a hell of a draw for any player, why aren’t we after the very best available?

Don’t think ffp will be a problem with the potential money we will bring in if we win what’s left. Plus big outgoings in terms of Bernardo, Laporte and cancelo. Also including loan players and academy players who we can get a large chunk of money from.
It isn’t our fault that the club is built on high standard foundations reason why a lost of our big name players spend a large majority of their career here.
The best thing about all this is that these big players want to come even with the dark cloud of the charges hanging over us which could be a sign.

 

[DeBlueLou]

There weren’t really world class players in their position available then though, but now there is Rice and Bellingham yet we’re after Kovacic. Not really improving the team that. If Gundogan or Bernie leave it’d be weaker, Kovacic isn’t as good as either.

If Bellingham now wants Real firstly and Rice is 100-120m, City are doing the right thing going for Kovacic for 30mil if they have no idea if Bernardo or Gundo goes. its a solid move.

 

[waspish]

I'll start by saying I've admittedly become more spoiled than I could have ever imagined in regard to City's success and their signings but singing Kovacic would be extremely underwhelming.

I can't recall him ever having a standout performance versus City through all the years he's been at Chelsea. Even in the CL final, it was Mount and Kante running the show through the middle. I trust Pep and the board as they hit on their signing more than they don't but this feels a lot like the Kalvin Phillips signing to me. Not to mention it's just another senior player in the middle that Foden would have to compete with. Although it's probably time I stop fantasizing about Foden ever playing centrally under Pep as it would have happened by now if it were in his plans.

Well if we sign him you’ll see how good he is!

 

[FromPollockToSilva]

Kovacic isn't even better than James Maddison IMO.

If we're talking about Pep coaching up a player with untapped potential then we should be going for Maddison who would potentially be cheaper and is much younger. Maddison has had multiple good performances vs City with far less quality around him than Kovacic.

1) I'm not sure Maddison actually would be any cheaper
2) Maddison is 26, turning 27 in November. Kovačić just turned 29 three weeks ago. Not a great deal in that
3) They don't really play the same role

 

[The Stockport Iniesta]

Kovacic isn't even better than James Maddison IMO.

If we're talking about Pep coaching up a player with untapped potential then we should be going for Maddison who would potentially be cheaper and is much younger. Maddison has had multiple good performances vs City with far less quality around him than Kovacic.

They play in 2 separate positions, Maddison wouldn't get a game the way we are currently playing. He's not displacing Kev or Alvarez, and Foden will be far superior in that position given chance. Kovacic is a likely Philips replacement.

 

[Bluemoon has risen]

Kovacic is a baller. Very shrewd signing if we get it done and it does sound like it's fairly advanced.

Interesting if we end up with Kovacic and Guerreiro, players both approaching their 30s. A bit of a shift in what we usually go for. If we do sign Gvardiol and Bellingham aswell though it's a good blend of young players added to experienced ones.