Pablo Maffeo

[CityStu]

The academy is there to find the gems of the future and as you say give kids the best possible chance of a career,just because they come through doesn't mean they are good enough for our first team where to get into you have to be an exceptional talent,i think some people have a romantic view of how it works not to mention that these kids have parents and agents who steer them in another direction

The difficulty we may find is that if we do unearth a proper gem, he'll leave whilst very young because the slightly more senior youngsters aren't getting chances at City, even if they impress in the academy and on loan.

Very similar to Sancho really. He didn't necessarily leave because he wasn't being played but because he's seen talented players like him (Barker, Roberts, Lopes) overlooked for years previous and didn't want to go the same way.

There's always an excuse not to play kids but it's going to bite us on the arse one day.

 

[Delphinho]

Hmmmm. Who to trust. You or Pep?

Come back when you reach 100 points. (PL or IQ will do)

IQ has nothing to do with personal opinions. I've watched both Maffeo and Danilo a lot of times this season, and I would rather have Maffeo.

 

[Andrew___K]

Cheers.

Perhaps this transfer has opened doors to potential future trading?

I think Pep values his relationship with Michael Reschke a lot. MR is one of the best experts in the German market and could help to unveil another 'Kimmich' and - who knows - probably assist with future signings from BuLi. Pure speculation on my part though.

 

[Maldeika]

Disappointing from the perspective he's a talent and it would have been great to see another H/G player in our squad.

However....you have to trust our management,this season has proved that beyond any doubt.

On a side note,do Stuttgart have any players that we may be interested in? @Maldeika ?

Benjamin Pavard could be one. Made it into the french national team recently and with Koscielny's injury could make it into the World Cup squad. He is the most remarkable this season. Else it is a squad with very experienced players that have at times been part of the German national team but only Gomez and Badstuber being regular starters in the past like Zieler, Beck, Aogo, Gentner, Ginzcek, Badstuber and Gomez and a bunch of players with 19, 20 and 21. They had problems at the beginning of the season - but switched coach in January and since then they really thrive. But apart from Benjamin Pavard I do not think that others right now have the quality or development. But I think that the clubs offers a very good environment for young players to develop because they aren't a top club but have experienced players that are the ones that have to deliver and lead - not the youngsters.

Your problem with youngsters is just the same that every of the top clubs have with youngsters.

 

[Belgique est Fantastique]

Denis Suarez, Seko Fofana,

£8.8m Maffeo - 25 per cent sell on and buy back
£10m Sancho - likewise
£3.5m - Ntcham
£10m Enes Unal
£25m Kelechi
£3.25m - Emyr Hughes
£8m Ronny Lopes.
£1.8m Boyata

By my reckoning - that's around £70m and a third of the cost it took to build the CFA.

Seems to be paying for itself. Nice work.

 

[urban genie]

Walker is 1st choice for next few years, maybe he didn't want to risk being just back up and loaned out, now he has had a taste of first team football in spain.

Good luck to the lad

Also we can be proud our academy is producing such talent that can go on and play even if it's for other teams.

 

[kaz7]

The difficulty we may find is that if we do unearth a proper gem, he'll leave whilst very young because the slightly more senior youngsters aren't getting chances at City, even if they impress in the academy and on loan.

Very similar to Sancho really. He didn't necessarily leave because he wasn't being played but because he's seen talented players like him (Barker, Roberts, Lopes) overlooked for years previous and didn't want to go the same way.

There's always an excuse not to play kids but it's going to bite us on the arse one day.

We can't keep them all,some will slip through the net for sure but stand back and marvel at what we do have in Diaz and Foden rather than hang hopes on very young kids who might never make it,they might make it somewhere if they are good enough just not with us ,we are a big club now and only the best of the worlds players will play in our first team

 

[Shaelumstash]

Reading between the lines, the club really had no other option but to sell.

If he's out of contract in 12 months time and they don't consider him as better than Kyle Walker just yet, what are the alternatives?

Let him be a back up to Walker and risk losing him on a free in 12 months. Loan him out again and risk losing him for nothing in 12 months.

Even if he signed an extended deal with us and went on loan, clubs are reluctant to play young players every week, particularly in defensive positions.

By selling him, it means Stuttgart have got a huge incentive to play him every week. He'll be playing mens football every week, under pressure in a league similar to the PL. And we've got a buy back.

We're giving him a test run, taking absolutely zero risk, and if he performs, we can bring him back and put him in the first team. It sounds like excellent business to me.

 

[FantasyIreland]

@Maldeika @Andrew___K

Cheers

 

[berniethebusman]

IQ has nothing to do with personal opinions. I've watched both Maffeo and Danilo a lot of times this season, and I would rather have Maffeo.

Maybe fullbacks aint your strongest subject.

My personal opinion is, out of the lads out on loan there was only this lad and possibly Manu (very long way down the road) with any chance of getting near our squad. We have a buy back so if he continues on developing i'm quietly confident we'll see him return. Maybe the route to the first team isn't as romantic as in the past but that's modern football & all those knocking Fodens & Diazs few minutes should take a minute and think on just what an achievement it is for such young lads to get anywhere near playing field when competing with the likes of our dave & kev, their future is just dandy.