Sergio Gomez | Joins City on a four year deal

[Tugay One Cup]

Why do people keep using this? What did Cucurella do to deserve an infantile nickname (that a 10 year old would be embarrased to use) ? He handed in a transfer request to try and get to City, he said he wanted to come here.

I know it's the school summer holidays but come on, we're surely better than this.

Not gonna lie, I had Marc Culecurella lined up for if he went to Barca.

 

[I'm With Stupid]

Those several fans don't remember that City had no chance of unearthing Cucurella because for the previous three or so years we had two left backs filling the squad who were immovable. Up until this summer there simply wasn't room for a new left back.

There's also the benefit of hindsight. People point to the successful examples and say "why can't we unearth someone like that?" without looking at the mountains of times a £15m player comes to a club and performs like a £15m player. For every Andy Robertson, there's a Minamino. And when you have limited squad space, you can't be regularly handing out 5-year contracts to players you hope will massively outperform their fee, because 9 times out of 10, it doesn't happen.

 

[Big Yaya Wilko 12]

I wonder when he’ll be announced?

 

[Moorland Blue]

Gomez makes sense. In effect he is 3rd choice LB after Cancelo and Ake. Stones is 3rd choice RB after Walker and Cancelo. A new more experienced LB would be great but would anyone suitable be happy with coming, at best, as understudy to Cancelo? If Gomez turns out not to be good enough, we can buy in Jan window.

 

[SWP's back]

I suspect this question was misunderstood by Pep, and that he heard something like "After Gomez, are City going to sign another left-back?", but we'll see.

Was a poorly worded question to a manager who isn’t a native English speaker and often mishears questions.

 

[SWP's back]

I wonder when he’ll be announced?

Yeah I saw Pep’s comments so presumed there would have been an official announcement or something.

 

[skillman]

You had to listen to it in the context of the question. The reporter asked Pep if Gomez was one for the future or one for now. It certainly means that he'll be in a similar spot to Alvarez and will be staying with the first team.

My mistake. Thanks for the info!

 

[Fordyboy46]

If Pep understands the word discounting, then his English is impeccable

 

[PhdWave]

Tbh most nicknames for players and teams are embarrassing

Really?.. I find most of the nicknames (like penaldo) funny for some reason.

 

[JewelZee]

So was about to watch a Sergio highlight reel. And in the beginning the guy normally lists 3 players who the player is similar to: for Gomez it was
Borna Sosa, Zinchencko and Raum. Just right there, I know I already like him.

Sosa's crossing, Zin's possession and Taums speed.

Anyway, let me continue my dreaming :)

It just reinforces the obvious, that City don't do anything randomly, zero, nothing. Regardless of what anyone may think, they have a comprehensive plan in place and adjust and react to it accordingly based on needs, market valuations, unexpected changes in the availability of players, etc., etc.

As a fan I love the discussions, debates, hypotheticals and all but it gets more than a little absurd when people go into full panic mode over transactions, accuse the club of getting their "pants pulled down" (always in hindsight, BTW), and pan players we show interest in.

I'll use Leao and Nunes as examples. Pep has gone on record with his admiration for both players. They are both full internationals. They have both performed extremely well for their current sides. We have had massive success with Portuguese players and there have been so many of them that have done well in the Prem. I'm not a guy who plays the "Pep says so" card, but I'm always going to trust his opinion in matters of player evaluations. I understand that some of his targets went on to struggle, some mightily, when opting to play somewhere else, but I also understand that when Pep evaluates a player its in the context of what he believes that player can do and become under his tutelage.

I would like to know, with the exceptions of Haaland, Grealish, Alvarez, and Phillips who are way too early in the process to evaluate fully, who on the current squad isn't a better player than when we acquired them? Regardless of how far along they were when they came in they are even better now with a boatload of success on their resumes.

That said, I don't believe for a second this Gomez kid is a panic purchase, stop gap, or any of the other nonsense we're hearing on here. City don't go that route. If he comes in and stays it means Pep believes he'll be an asset to us and perform at the standard City requires. Same goes for whoever else they decide to bring in as well.