January window

[Gabriel]

Our inability to shift Cancelo permanently is probably a fair indication of how difficult it will be to move Phillips on.

 

[balotellishaircut]

A loan is fine if it's an obligation to buy in the summer go 45m

How many times have we been successful with this scenario ?

 

[Dribble]

Could be out injured long term by the sounds of tonight.

Hamstring. We bought Gundog injured & Philips just returning from injury, so I think the betting investigation may have a bigger bearing.

We just need to replace Philips ASAP. With whom is a different matter altogether. Also I wish we'd bought Paqueta in the summer instead of Nunes.

 

[Dribble]

They’re good players, to be sure, but if you watch Camavinga in the build up to our first two goals, you’ll see what I mean.

I've seen Camavinga in several matches, & he's never failed to impress me. Against Real, I doubt anyone could've lived with us that night. We just blew them away.

So aside from that match, you still don't think Camavinga would be a CDM option for us if he was available?

 

[Dribble]

I’m hoping City just sell KP if that’s what Pep wants, but ffs don’t do a loan deal, Newcastle have the money to buy and we should play hard ball and insist on a sale.

Newcastle have got FFP issues. A loan with an obligation to buy maybe our best shout.

 

[Dribble]

Our inability to shift Cancelo permanently is probably a fair indication of how difficult it will be to move Phillips on.

Barça are skint, hence their desperation for the ESL. At worst both Newcastle & Spuds could do a 6 month loan with an obligation to buy for £43m.

 

[Gabriel]

I've seen Camavinga in several matches, & he's never failed to impress me. Against Real, I doubt anyone could've lived with us that night. We just blew them away.

So aside from that match, you still don't think Camavinga would be a CDM option for us if he was available?

If he were available, perhaps, but I just don’t see him playing in the same way as Rodri. He’s also out with a torn knee ligament so any discussion is purely academic.

 

[Gabriel]

Barça are skint, hence their desperation for the ESL. At worst both Newcastle & Spuds could do a 6 month loan with an obligation to buy for £43m.

That would be ‘at best’ in my opinion. The lad has hardly played and clubs know our predicament and will probably seek to take him on loan with no obligation to buy. With a new baby he may have no inclination to move, so we might just have to accept that he’ll be around until the summer.

 

[Vester]

Our inability to shift Cancelo permanently is probably a fair indication of how difficult it will be to move Phillips on.

Phillips is unlike Cancelo not a bad apple in the dressing room, as far as we are aware and therefore there is less need to remove him from the squad at all costs. The only thing preventing him moving permanently is his unwillingness to cut his salary and/or join "smaller" clubs. West Ham wanted to buy him this summer but he turned them down thinking he could work himself into our team. Another year on the bench with minimal minutes could change his perspective. You cant convince me there wont be other offers than a loan with no obligation for an English international in a treble winning club. The problem is not the lack of offers, the problem is Phillips not wanting to move bad enough. Yet that is, sooner or later he will want to save his career and realize he will have to make some sacrifices himself to make that happen. City should not be held to ransom by a player unwilling to make any sacrifices himself. Until his agent can deliver a deal thats good for the club, he can sit on the bench and see his career get ruined. 3-4m (or less) in saved salary payments for a 6 month loan is not enough compensation for strengthening whats likely to be a PL rival for years to come. Any loan to any of the PL clubs competing for European places should be with an obligation to buy, imo.

Not saying any of this is undisputed or undoubtedly "the way it is", I understand others may disagree. Its just my personal opinion that sometimes the club has to play hardball, we cant let players have all the power at the clubs expense.

 

[Gabriel]

Phillips is unlike Cancelo not a bad apple in the dressing room, as far as we are aware and therefore there is less need to remove him from the squad at all costs. The only thing preventing him moving permanently is his unwillingness to cut his salary and/or join "smaller" clubs. West Ham wanted to buy him this summer but he turned them down thinking he could work himself into our team. Another year on the bench with minimal minutes could change his perspective. You cant convince me there wont be other offers than a loan with no obligation for an English international in a treble winning club. The problem is not the lack of offers, the problem is Phillips not wanting to move bad enough. Yet that is, sooner or later he will want to save his career and realize he will have to make some sacrifices himself to make that happen. City should not be held to ransom by a player unwilling to make any sacrifices himself. Until his agent can deliver a deal thats good for the club, he can sit on the bench and see his career get ruined. 3-4m (or less) in saved salary payments for a 6 month loan is not enough compensation for strengthening whats likely to be a PL rival for years to come. Any loan to any of the PL clubs competing for European places should be with an obligation to buy, imo.

Not saying any of this is undisputed or undoubtedly "the way it is", I understand others may disagree. Its just my personal opinion that sometimes the club has to play hardball, we cant let players have all the power at the clubs expense.

I wasn’t suggesting they were the same in character, simply that they are going to be difficult to shift on a permanent basis. If he was unwilling to leave in the summer, I’m not convinced that anything has changed to make him wish to leave now. If anything, with a new baby, he might feel even less inclined to leave his environs.