£16m would normally be good but a player who has trained with Pep and played in a team that just had a historic-record breaking season, unmatched by any team as far as a top flight season goes would surely command more if it weren't City who were selling. We are City though and it's a tidy profit on what we paid for him.
Does the move suit the player though? I seem to remember they played horrible football when they played us, they'd need a good few seasons recruitment and a new manager before that changes so I wouldn't blame him for declining for footballing reasons.
He's a quality player who could well come good some day, perhaps to some he hasn't been able to show the best of his game, due to being played out of position at LB but the training vids show he's up there with some of our best players in terms of ball control in the rondos and the keepy-uppy challenges they do, he's got quite a shot on him too. I think he will make it to top level football personally because of his attitude and his determination to succeed. On the basis that the Citywatch podcast(I think) that gave a little bit of background on him is correct about how hard he had to fight to get noticed when he had no club playing in a free agents league in Russia or something like that. Many would have given up before that point but he stuck at it and went from no club, to getting a contract with a club in Russian football, to playing well enough for City to take notice.
It's a shame Bristol weren't promoted as despite being seen as a smaller club they do play the right football, he could shine there with first team football week in week out to evolve his game. I'm not sure there is team newly promoted or in the bottom half of the table that do play the right kind of football for him in the PL.
Napoli would have been a good move for him but I guess they've cooled their interest.
If the plan for Malaga is to play to the City Group philosophy then that would be a no brainer to me.
