Rony Lopes

[LoveCity]

There may not be a buy-back clause because apparently relations between club and player (or player + entourage) have broken down pretty badly.

Also, people shouldn't act like this is our fault. He is 19, not 23, and like Denis Suarez has put us in a position where we have to sell or lose him for a compensation fee next summer, because he will not renew his contract. No club playing on a level like ours would make 19-year-old Marcos Lopes a regular - he is talented but by no means a freakishly good young player. They might give him occasional sub appearances and cup games, which we could, but he wants more than that.

21-23 has been a normal age for some of European football's best players of recent generations to break through from a top academy into a top team. I can understand why some might want to leave, but they could also be patient and develop a little more, then have a greater chance when they're 21-23 years old and mature footballers. An 18-20yo is not going to break through at a club of our status unless he is incredibly, ridiculously good. Like Sterling, who is barely older than Lopes.

 

[abellwillring]

I never really understand why the player would even consider coming back? Barca have successfully brought former youth players back with Fabregas and Pique, but they are Barca, a superpower that can pick practically any player they want and sign them. I don't know what the circumstances are in which Lopes would willingly come back to us after we showed no faith in him whatsoever. We could have a buy back clause of 50p... it doesn't matter.

Because when a young kid goes, he knows it's because he isn't good enough yet to play over established players. Lopes knows he isn't better than Silva or Nasri yet. Very few are. He's definitely not better than a guy who just won the player of the year in the German league. And he doesn't offer the same sort of play as Jesus Navas -- he's firmly down the pecking order for no other reason than he isn't better than these players. He knows that, you know that, I know that.

If he goes away and continually shows that he IS better and we want him back, then we won't spend money to bring him here unless we intend to play him. That is why a you try and include a buy-back clause. It isn't about a lack of faith, it's about reality. In this case, I think there probably won't be one due to the big up front cost. Monaco are probably paying a little more now since they won't possibly lose him later.

 

[Benarbia]

I think this is a fab deal for us 9 million at his age, unproven and last year of his contract. It's a master stroke

 

[Proy]

There may not be a buy-back clause because apparently relations between club and player (or player + entourage) have broken down pretty badly.

Also, people shouldn't act like this is our fault. He is 19, not 23, and like Denis Suarez has put us in a position where we have to sell or lose him for a compensation fee next summer, because he will not renew his contract. No club playing on a level like ours would make 19-year-old Marcos Lopes a regular - he is talented but by no means a freakishly good young player. They might give him occasional sub appearances and cup games, which we could, but he wants more than that.

21-23 has been a normal age for some of European football's best players of recent generations to break through from a top academy into a top team. I can understand why some might want to leave, but they could also be patient and develop a little more, then have a greater chance when they're 21-23 years old and mature footballers. An 18-20yo is not going to break through at a club of our status unless he is incredibly, ridiculously good. Like Sterling, who is barely older than Lopes.

I think that basically sums up my feelings about this. The academy in general as well.

I don't think we will see anything productive in terms of first team from it, for 2/3 years when they come into the right age bracket for the club.

One or two will make it and that will save us millions.

And the ones that don't we have given them a platform to go on and be professional footballers elsewhere, whilst learning in a top quality environment with great players.

These kids all have agents these days and they are demanding too much too soon. You don't just walk into the first team at Manchester City unless you are absolutely good enough.

We are cherry picking the best youngsters around and they will have to wait their turn. That will have been made clear.

If only 2/3 make it the academy has served its purpose. Right now the first team is the priority and if you're not good enough but think you deserve first team football, well you know where the door is.

 

[Frede Fup]

We should try to sign Martial from Monaco. Extremely talented. Not this summer, but maybe next year..

9 million for Lopes is a great deal.

 

[Mr HJ]

There may not be a buy-back clause because apparently relations between club and player (or player + entourage) have broken down pretty badly.

Also, people shouldn't act like this is our fault. He is 19, not 23, and like Denis Suarez has put us in a position where we have to sell or lose him for a compensation fee next summer, because he will not renew his contract. No club playing on a level like ours would make 19-year-old Marcos Lopes a regular - he is talented but by no means a freakishly good young player. They might give him occasional sub appearances and cup games, which we could, but he wants more than that.

21-23 has been a normal age for some of European football's best players of recent generations to break through from a top academy into a top team. I can understand why some might want to leave, but they could also be patient and develop a little more, then have a greater chance when they're 21-23 years old and mature footballers. An 18-20yo is not going to break through at a club of our status unless he is incredibly, ridiculously good. Like Sterling, who is barely older than Lopes.

Good post Sir!

 

[Matty]

There may not be a buy-back clause because apparently relations between club and player (or player + entourage) have broken down pretty badly.

Also, people shouldn't act like this is our fault. He is 19, not 23, and like Denis Suarez has put us in a position where we have to sell or lose him for a compensation fee next summer, because he will not renew his contract. No club playing on a level like ours would make 19-year-old Marcos Lopes a regular - he is talented but by no means a freakishly good young player. They might give him occasional sub appearances and cup games, which we could, but he wants more than that.

21-23 has been a normal age for some of European football's best players of recent generations to break through from a top academy into a top team. I can understand why some might want to leave, but they could also be patient and develop a little more, then have a greater chance when they're 21-23 years old and mature footballers. An 18-20yo is not going to break through at a club of our status unless he is incredibly, ridiculously good. Like Sterling, who is barely older than Lopes.

As long as we have some form of percentage of any sale then that's all that really matters.

 

[BadApple]

You literally dont make sense in any of your posts here. Also according to your logic Lopes is not our academy graduate lol

I've never said he's not our academy graduate. As long as I make sense in my mind haha!

I will try and make sense now then :-)

In my opinion youth don't get enough chances at big clubs, but that's just how it is due to the quality at the top clubs plus the pressure to win that comes with being a big club and we are new to being an elite club. I've come to understand that and to be honest I don't really care whether we buy players or bring them through the academy.I've followed City my whole life and remember most players who have come through the system such as:- Gary Mason, Chris Greenacre (loved him thought he was going to be the next Fowler), Jim Whitley (hit the post with a screamer against Bradford from about 30 yards I was sat in the old south stand thinking wow), Danny Allsop I could go on and on, at the time I thought that some would make it big time (blue tints maybe) none of them ever did. At the moment Its not a major issue as I don't see any players we have let go become world beaters! Our 1st team squad is full of world beaters all of them, every single one of them and I trust the structure and management at the club to make a professional decision after all they see tomorrow's future more or less every single day in front of their own eyes.

Only time will tell if this is the right decision or a wrong one, but I'm under the impression he was not willing to sign a new contract (paper talk)? Due to this I think he was rightly sold.

Have a good evening Sir.

 

[Blue Haze]

No loss. I didn't see the technical ability in him to make our squad. He was quick but nowhere near fast enough to make up for it.

Wrote him off after watching him on loan. He looked meh against poor French clubs.

 

[George Hannah]

I'm hoping an option on Fabinho has been obtained - seriously good RB and DM and our current occupants are not getting any younger.​