Man City transfer targets: Six La Liga players Manuel Pellegrini could and should bring to the Etihad
14 Jun 2013 16:55
Could Isco, Gonzalo Higuain and Fabio Coentrao be on the new City boss's summer shopping list?
With Manuel Pellegrini now officially taking over from Roberto Mancini at Manchester City, we asked La Liga expert David Cartlidge to pinpoint some of the Spain-based players the new boss might want to bring with him.
Roberto Mancini was sacked just two days after his side were beaten 1-0 in the FA Cup Final by Wigan, and having already conceded the Premier League title to rivals Manchester United.
Pellegrini was widely known to be set for the job, and his former club Malaga have finally agreed to his exit after lengthly negotiations with City CEO Ferran Soriano - not Ferram, as the official site accidentally called him!
Here are six players David thinks might well be following him to Manchester.
Isco
Malaga
Attacking Midfield
21-years-old
With David Silva's injury problems this season contributing to his stuttering form, it’s time some of the playmaking burden was taken off him.
Isco is an ideal solution to the creative side of City’s game, and the bonus is that Pellegrini knows the 21-year-old inside out from his time at Malaga.
The player's maturity is in large part thanks to Pellegrini, as he allowed him freedom in a creative sense but also taught him discipline and maturity in terms of his moves into central areas.
Isco, like his countryman Silva, is blessed with an abundance of technique, ability in tight areas, swift changes of direction and excellent vision of the game. He can be played on the left side of midfield, but with that license to cut in and work behind the attack between the lines.
Let’s not forget how much Pellegrini loves a playmaker - see exhibit A: D'Alessandro, Riquelme - so there is no reason why Isco couldn’t coexist with Silva.
Gonzalo Higuain
Real Madrid
Striker
25-years-old
Rumours of Gonzalo Higuain’s departure from Real Madrid come around every summer and it appears this could be the season it finally happens.
Pellegrini’s a huge fan of mobile forwards, and while City have one in the shape of Sergio Aguero another in Higuain would be a huge bonus.
This Argentinean comes without the off-field baggage of Carlos Tevez, but can still provide the same monstrous effort on the field. Higuain has the ability to pull players away from key defensive positions, and also hold the ball up, lay-off the ball and player either back to goal or in behind. Not to mention he can finish too.
Higuain’s never truly been loved in Spain’s capital, but after a few games the City fans would want to throw their arms around the industrious 25-year-old - if Arsenal don't get to him first.
Geoffrey Kondogbia
Sevilla
Central/box-to-box midfielder
20-years-old
A revelation this season, Geoffrey Kondogbia could have already been in the Premier League. The Frenchman was at one point close to a move to Reading, but the club decided after a few scouting trips he wasn’t up to much. How they must regret that now!
The Frenchman has been in outstanding form for a struggling Sevilla outfit, and has brought all his physical capabilities to the table.
He sits alongside another deep midfielder and can quite easily form a double pivot but also emerge forward with powerful runs.
His decision making around the penalty area needs vast improvement but what he can provide is energy and impact in the engine room. It would be excellent for his development to work alongside Yaya Toure.
Miranda or Diego Godin
Atlético Madrid
Centre backs
28 and 27 respectively
Both have been integral features of the imperious Atlético Madrid defence this season, and both would represent a dependable presence in terms of defensive rotation.
Vincent Kompany and Matija Nastasi will undoubtedly be the first choice pairing but rather than splash out big for another centre-back, Miranda or Godin would be content to rotate and won’t break the budget.
Miranda’s been a sensation since arriving on a free transfer and is quick across the ground, strong, positionally aware and does the basics well.
Godin has attracted interest before from the Premier League and played over 70 games with Pellegrini at Villarreal, so the bonus is the Chilean knows him very well. The Uruguayan is excellent in the air, clears his lines swiftly and is physically commanding too.
Fabio Coentrao
Real Madrid
Left-back
25-years-old
Another - along with departing boss Jose Mourinho - who could soon see the exit door at Real Madrid, Coentrao’s a player City looked at before and know well. They might have to look again given how much he’d suit a Pellegrini system.
Joan Capdevila was an important part of Villarreal’s defence under Pellegrini making over 80 appearances with the Chilean at the helm, and his galloping up and down the left flank was a vital feature of the side.
With Pellegrini often liking his wide players to cut inside it leaves space in the channels to run into, few full-backs are better when it comes to attacking forays than Coentrao.
The Portuguese could form a perfect tandem with an inside cutting Isco, as he places emphasis on attack foremost.
Coentrao’s defending has improved vastly as well, and especially so in the big games he’s offered dependable, error-free displays.
With the amount of Jorge Mendes clients heading to Monaco though, one must fear he's more likely to be in Monte Carlo than Manchester.
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14 Jun 2013 16:55
Could Isco, Gonzalo Higuain and Fabio Coentrao be on the new City boss's summer shopping list?
With Manuel Pellegrini now officially taking over from Roberto Mancini at Manchester City, we asked La Liga expert David Cartlidge to pinpoint some of the Spain-based players the new boss might want to bring with him.
Roberto Mancini was sacked just two days after his side were beaten 1-0 in the FA Cup Final by Wigan, and having already conceded the Premier League title to rivals Manchester United.
Pellegrini was widely known to be set for the job, and his former club Malaga have finally agreed to his exit after lengthly negotiations with City CEO Ferran Soriano - not Ferram, as the official site accidentally called him!
Here are six players David thinks might well be following him to Manchester.
Isco
Malaga
Attacking Midfield
21-years-old
With David Silva's injury problems this season contributing to his stuttering form, it’s time some of the playmaking burden was taken off him.
Isco is an ideal solution to the creative side of City’s game, and the bonus is that Pellegrini knows the 21-year-old inside out from his time at Malaga.
The player's maturity is in large part thanks to Pellegrini, as he allowed him freedom in a creative sense but also taught him discipline and maturity in terms of his moves into central areas.
Isco, like his countryman Silva, is blessed with an abundance of technique, ability in tight areas, swift changes of direction and excellent vision of the game. He can be played on the left side of midfield, but with that license to cut in and work behind the attack between the lines.
Let’s not forget how much Pellegrini loves a playmaker - see exhibit A: D'Alessandro, Riquelme - so there is no reason why Isco couldn’t coexist with Silva.
Gonzalo Higuain
Real Madrid
Striker
25-years-old
Rumours of Gonzalo Higuain’s departure from Real Madrid come around every summer and it appears this could be the season it finally happens.
Pellegrini’s a huge fan of mobile forwards, and while City have one in the shape of Sergio Aguero another in Higuain would be a huge bonus.
This Argentinean comes without the off-field baggage of Carlos Tevez, but can still provide the same monstrous effort on the field. Higuain has the ability to pull players away from key defensive positions, and also hold the ball up, lay-off the ball and player either back to goal or in behind. Not to mention he can finish too.
Higuain’s never truly been loved in Spain’s capital, but after a few games the City fans would want to throw their arms around the industrious 25-year-old - if Arsenal don't get to him first.
Geoffrey Kondogbia
Sevilla
Central/box-to-box midfielder
20-years-old
A revelation this season, Geoffrey Kondogbia could have already been in the Premier League. The Frenchman was at one point close to a move to Reading, but the club decided after a few scouting trips he wasn’t up to much. How they must regret that now!
The Frenchman has been in outstanding form for a struggling Sevilla outfit, and has brought all his physical capabilities to the table.
He sits alongside another deep midfielder and can quite easily form a double pivot but also emerge forward with powerful runs.
His decision making around the penalty area needs vast improvement but what he can provide is energy and impact in the engine room. It would be excellent for his development to work alongside Yaya Toure.
Miranda or Diego Godin
Atlético Madrid
Centre backs
28 and 27 respectively
Both have been integral features of the imperious Atlético Madrid defence this season, and both would represent a dependable presence in terms of defensive rotation.
Vincent Kompany and Matija Nastasi will undoubtedly be the first choice pairing but rather than splash out big for another centre-back, Miranda or Godin would be content to rotate and won’t break the budget.
Miranda’s been a sensation since arriving on a free transfer and is quick across the ground, strong, positionally aware and does the basics well.
Godin has attracted interest before from the Premier League and played over 70 games with Pellegrini at Villarreal, so the bonus is the Chilean knows him very well. The Uruguayan is excellent in the air, clears his lines swiftly and is physically commanding too.
Fabio Coentrao
Real Madrid
Left-back
25-years-old
Another - along with departing boss Jose Mourinho - who could soon see the exit door at Real Madrid, Coentrao’s a player City looked at before and know well. They might have to look again given how much he’d suit a Pellegrini system.
Joan Capdevila was an important part of Villarreal’s defence under Pellegrini making over 80 appearances with the Chilean at the helm, and his galloping up and down the left flank was a vital feature of the side.
With Pellegrini often liking his wide players to cut inside it leaves space in the channels to run into, few full-backs are better when it comes to attacking forays than Coentrao.
The Portuguese could form a perfect tandem with an inside cutting Isco, as he places emphasis on attack foremost.
Coentrao’s defending has improved vastly as well, and especially so in the big games he’s offered dependable, error-free displays.
With the amount of Jorge Mendes clients heading to Monaco though, one must fear he's more likely to be in Monte Carlo than Manchester.
Check out all the latest News, Sport & Celeb gossip at Mirror.co.uk <a class="postlink" href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/manchester-city-transfers-isco-gonzalo-1890364#ixzz2WDSLiidF" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/ ... z2WDSLiidF</a>
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