Apart from swapping Akanji for Nunes I can’t see any other way of meeting the squad numbers. Kovacic‘s injury won’t make any difference whether he stays or not ,injured players have move before.Stones or Ake could go but I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t.
I just can’t see us keeping all these defenders.
I think 1 of Ake, Stones, Akanji definitely goes. Wouldn’t surprise me if 2 were to go. Akanj the most likely to stay in my opinion.
We dont need to fill the HG quota both can go if we have cover.While I can see your reasoning on the defenders.. I think 1 of Stones and Ake will stay as we need them for the HG quota.
That made me think between Ake and Stones.. who's skill set can we cover more easily. Sadly it was Stones as Ake can still completely shut down top wingers/ forwards when healthy.. so I picked him most likely to stay despite wanting to keep Stonesy!
Player signed in Jan would have come with reassurances as well.Pep wants a small squad, which can work if you don't have injury prone players. Otherwise, we haven't learned the lesson from 24/25.
1-2 players won't be registered for the CL or will be loaned out.
What makes sense for us fans may not make sense for Pep, and vice versa. Expect surprises.
True. I guess it all depends on signings coming in as well. If we were to get Livramento and maybe even MGW we’d have signed HG players.While I can see your reasoning on the defenders.. I think 1 of Stones and Ake will stay as we need them for the HG quota.
That made me think between Ake and Stones.. who's skill set can we cover more easily. Sadly it was Stones as Ake can still completely shut down top wingers/ forwards when healthy.. so I picked him most likely to stay despite wanting to keep Stonesy!
We won’t go down the not registered for CL route because that means they will be registered for PL and won’t be a small squad.As I’ve posted we will end up with a squad of 24/25.Pep wants a small squad, which can work if you don't have injury prone players. Otherwise, we haven't learned the lesson from 24/25.
1-2 players won't be registered for the CL or will be loaned out.
What makes sense for us fans may not make sense for Pep, and vice versa. Expect surprises.
Bernie! Haha. Just made club captain but ship him out…In an ideal world, I’d sell Stones, Akanji, Gundogan, Bernardo, Grealish, Walker, Phillips, McAtee and then like for likes if the keepers go
Much rather keep Ake than Akanji, cos he’s much better and also left footer, we’ll only have Gvardiol as a natural left footer otherwise
I wouldn’t be entirely sure about that. It could be that we just didn’t want him to go to Lyon if we could have Bah go there instead. It might also be that we still aren’t sure which of the senior players will leave and need to sort that out first before addressing Khusanov’s future. All just speculation, of course.Exactly. Khusanov isn’t going anywhere.
It will be Dias, Gvardiol, Reis, Khusanov and Akanji in my opinion.
My best guess would be
Akanji
Gundogan
Kovacic
Grealish
McAtee
Walker
Phillips
Lyon have play in a major league and have European football. We would have done well to get him a better loan and if a better club took him then why is he going.I wouldn’t be entirely sure about that. It could be that we just didn’t want him to go to Lyon if we could have Bah go there instead. It might also be that we still aren’t sure which of the senior players will leave and need to sort that out first before addressing Khusanov’s future. All just speculation, of course.
I don’t think we’d spend so much on Khusanov, relatively unknown, in a panic to later loan out. I would be astonished if he goes out on loan.we probably never go in for Khusanov and Reis tho if we dont have all CBs apart from Gvardiol all injured at same time and also for quite long injuries not just a week or two for 2/4 months ones.
so it was bit of a panic purchases, investment for the future too, but unless there are 2 outgoings from Akanji, Ake, Stones hard to see how Khusanov or Reis will get decent minutes from mid August. Pep wont use them and keep his trusted players on the bench.
It’s not that bad.Kova is unlikely because of his injury and recuperation.
Shouldn’t make any difference, lots of players recovering from injury get transferred.Kova is unlikely because of his injury and recuperation.
Reis we didn’t even use meaning we signed him long term.we probably never go in for Khusanov and Reis tho if we dont have all CBs apart from Gvardiol all injured at same time and also for quite long injuries not just a week or two for 2/4 months ones.
so it was bit of a panic purchases, investment for the future too, but unless there are 2 outgoings from Akanji, Ake, Stones hard to see how Khusanov or Reis will get decent minutes from mid August. Pep wont use them and keep his trusted players on the bench.
I just can’t see us keeping all these defenders.
I think 1 of Ake, Stones, Akanji definitely goes. Wouldn’t surprise me if 2 were to go. Akanj the most likely to stay in my opinion.
Grealish we know is gone as is Walker, McAtee looks certain, Echeverri might get a loan, Nunes I think goes unless we really bottle it with this RB, Gundo is going to Turkey, both Eddie and Ortega might entertain leaving and we might look to sell Eddie if he doesn’t commit.
8 players can leave on loan and Bah is 1 meaning we have 7 spots available.For players to go they need a buyer think you only can loan a certain amount of players
We won’t go down the not registered for CL route because that means they will be registered for PL and won’t be a small squad.As I’ve posted we will end up with a squad of 24/25.
17 NHG, 3 or 4 HG, 2 CT and 2 U21.
Wouldn’t be any real surprises needed to achieve that for me. Would only surprise me if the squad was whittled down to less than 24.
I'm thinking this will happen..
L indicates possible loan.. (I'm not convinced Savinho or Echeverri both go on loan as yet though.. but most likely 1 of them probably will if we plan to keep Ortega)
View attachment 160747
I'm thinking this will happen..
L indicates possible loan.. (I'm not convinced Savinho or Echeverri both go on loan as yet though.. but most likely 1 of them probably will if we plan to keep Ortega)
View attachment 160747
How many match fit central defenders did we have in January ?Yeah…the decision to buy two CB’s in January looks another strange decision from City. Loaning out a player that costs £35m 6 months after arriving is poor.