Ross Barkley

[supercity88]

Funnily enough I actually think we should be playing the football manager transfer strategy and not the diamonds in the rough, shrewd market. With a lot of our wage restructuring etc we have enough cash to bring in some real quality. We need to be looking at European rivals and not just domestic. Chelsea have managed to get Costa and Fabregas for relatively cheaply, especially when you see what the rags and liverpool have spent on younger english players.

I've said a few times that City's ageing squad means we are losing a lot of money on any value uplift of players. We can't for instance do what Chelsea or Real or Barca have been able to do and sell a big player and replace with another big player who is more needed. Mata and Luiz for Fabregas and Costa (plus change). Ozil and Di Maria for Rodriguez and Kroos. Sanchez helped with the Suarez signing.

Our best players, apart from Zabba, Kompany, Hart and Aguero, are all worth lower fees than we paid in general. Largely down to their age. If we now target the likes of Pogba, Barkley, Reus and pay reasonable money for them, there is nothing to say that in the future their value increases. Maybe Real decide they want Barkley or Pogba in 4 years time - likelihood is they will cost an extra £20m to what we pay this/next year. Why take the risk on unproven English or domestic players? Jones, Smalling, Young, Carroll, Downing... all commanded big fees and haven't really repaid that. Their value is no more than what their clubs spent for them - in the latter two cases it went down a lot.

We have been shrewd with Fernando and have added Mangala, who could be worth £50m plus based on Luiz' cost last summer if he proves himself.

 

[sam-caddick]

I have a feeling if Barkley comes back from his injury and shows similar showings and better from last season we might move for him in January.

There is no way we can just have Lampard as back up for when Yaya goes to ACON and likewise for when Yaya comes back and Lampard leaves.

 

[Bill]

I have a feeling if Barkley comes back from his injury and shows similar showings and better from last season we might move for him in January.

There is no way we can just have Lampard as back up for when Yaya goes to ACON and likewise for when Yaya comes back and Lampard leaves.

agreed, we must quickly for this lad.

 

[Lomas has a lob on]

I have a feeling if Barkley comes back from his injury and shows similar showings and better from last season we might move for him in January.

There is no way we can just have Lampard as back up for when Yaya goes to ACON and likewise for when Yaya comes back and Lampard leaves.

I think City's move for Barkley depends on where Everton are in the league!
If they continue to struggle and are way off the pace, in terms of challenging for 4th spot, still in January, then I can see us having a better chance of getting him in January. If they hit form and are in with even the slightset chance of having another good season, I think we'll have to wait until the summer.

 

[Mancini Manus Domini]

Funnily enough I actually think we should be playing the football manager transfer strategy and not the diamonds in the rough, shrewd market. With a lot of our wage restructuring etc we have enough cash to bring in some real quality. We need to be looking at European rivals and not just domestic. Chelsea have managed to get Costa and Fabregas for relatively cheaply, especially when you see what the rags and liverpool have spent on younger english players.

I've said a few times that City's ageing squad means we are losing a lot of money on any value uplift of players. We can't for instance do what Chelsea or Real or Barca have been able to do and sell a big player and replace with another big player who is more needed. Mata and Luiz for Fabregas and Costa (plus change). Ozil and Di Maria for Rodriguez and Kroos. Sanchez helped with the Suarez signing.

Our best players, apart from Zabba, Kompany, Hart and Aguero, are all worth lower fees than we paid in general. Largely down to their age. If we now target the likes of Pogba, Barkley, Reus and pay reasonable money for them, there is nothing to say that in the future their value increases. Maybe Real decide they want Barkley or Pogba in 4 years time - likelihood is they will cost an extra £20m to what we pay this/next year. Why take the risk on unproven English or domestic players? Jones, Smalling, Young, Carroll, Downing... all commanded big fees and haven't really repaid that. Their value is no more than what their clubs spent for them - in the latter two cases it went down a lot.

We have been shrewd with Fernando and have added Mangala, who could be worth £50m plus based on Luiz' cost last summer if he proves himself.

You talk a lot of sense but can we go big for one player in January given FFP or is it next summer we are out of the woods? Either way it's time.

 

[Jimfv1]

If we can't get pogba then barkley will do.

Imo we need both.

Lampard goes, Yaya goes? and that leaves us with two CMs. Pogba and Barkley replace both but also lower the age of our team.

An upgrade on Clichy and Reus and that's summer done.

yep.

Totally agree with this, Pogba box to box, Reus potentially to replace Nasri (?), Barkley to play more as a number 10 and a left back to come in and support whichever stays out of Clichy or Kolarov.

We would have to sell some of our foreign stars to make room in the squad for Pogba, Reus and a "foreign" left back, So if we sold Yaya, Nasri and maybe Kolarov we could upgrade and lower the age of our squad as well as keeping to budget because all three that we'd sell would have a decent resale value.

 

[Jimfv1]

I have a feeling if Barkley comes back from his injury and shows similar showings and better from last season we might move for him in January.

There is no way we can just have Lampard as back up for when Yaya goes to ACON and likewise for when Yaya comes back and Lampard leaves.

I think City's move for Barkley depends on where Everton are in the league!
If they continue to struggle and are way off the pace, in terms of challenging for 4th spot, still in January, then I can see us having a better chance of getting him in January. If they hit form and are in with even the slightset chance of having another good season, I think we'll have to wait until the summer.

Or buy him and leave him at Everton until summer perhaps ? Is this possible, other clubs do it ?

 

[City_Sean]

Might be a good ides to buy Barkley in January, loaning him to Everton until the summer. I'd still go for Pogba too, considerimg I thimk Yaya has peaked and Lampard will be leaving us in the summer.

 

[kun]

Funnily enough I actually think we should be playing the football manager transfer strategy and not the diamonds in the rough, shrewd market. With a lot of our wage restructuring etc we have enough cash to bring in some real quality. We need to be looking at European rivals and not just domestic. Chelsea have managed to get Costa and Fabregas for relatively cheaply, especially when you see what the rags and liverpool have spent on younger english players.

I've said a few times that City's ageing squad means we are losing a lot of money on any value uplift of players. We can't for instance do what Chelsea or Real or Barca have been able to do and sell a big player and replace with another big player who is more needed. Mata and Luiz for Fabregas and Costa (plus change). Ozil and Di Maria for Rodriguez and Kroos. Sanchez helped with the Suarez signing.

Our best players, apart from Zabba, Kompany, Hart and Aguero, are all worth lower fees than we paid in general. Largely down to their age. If we now target the likes of Pogba, Barkley, Reus and pay reasonable money for them, there is nothing to say that in the future their value increases. Maybe Real decide they want Barkley or Pogba in 4 years time - likelihood is they will cost an extra £20m to what we pay this/next year. Why take the risk on unproven English or domestic players? Jones, Smalling, Young, Carroll, Downing... all commanded big fees and haven't really repaid that. Their value is no more than what their clubs spent for them - in the latter two cases it went down a lot.

We have been shrewd with Fernando and have added Mangala, who could be worth £50m plus based on Luiz' cost last summer if he proves himself.

There's no way Silva's worth less than £24m

 

[Azul Luna]

If we can't get pogba then barkley will do.

Imo we need both.

Lampard goes, Yaya goes? and that leaves us with two CMs. Pogba and Barkley replace both but also lower the age of our team.

An upgrade on Clichy and Reus and that's summer done.

Your proposed team:

What a team.