Rodri wanted to leave because of the way Pep wants to play AND because he could learn under Pep. So he must be happy on some level about Pep's contract.Rodri was wanting to leave after conversations with Simeone to be fair, but he's one with his head screwed on right. Just saying young kids can easily have their heads turned by the glitz and glamour of Madrid compared to Manny. Undeniably we're a great project - especially IF guardiola's here a lot longer, but if he's not, or if its not made clear to players...
I don't know if most City fans here would choose City over Real Madrid if they had the chance, so to someone who has no connection with City do you really think he would choose City over Real? This is fucking Real Madrid, perhaps the biggest football club in the world, probably the richest, most glitzy, with its huge stadium and hundreds of millions of fans around the world. There is nothing to compare, when a player need to choose between us and Real he will choose Real every day of the week. It's hard for me to believe he'll come here, but I'm holding my fingersBastoni: bieng left footed + inter not needing to sell, is part of what makes him worth more than his "experienced courter parts"
Ihattaren: agreed.
Tanguy Kouassi: Leipzig and Milan are a great short term career stepping Stones. But if you have the opportunity to join one of the best youth project in the World and be promised to be an important part of it, would you turn it down?
When (possibly) his RCB competition could be mostly just his age mates?
Aymeric Laporte (26)
Alessandro Bastoni (21)
Fernandinho (35)
Éric Garcia (19)
Tanguy Kouassi (18)
Hardwood-bellis (18)
And as Pep has shown with Rodri, his philosophy is players bieng able to play two or three Position.
His CB are expected to be able to "play CDM"
His CDM are expected to be able to "play CB"
Etc..
Camavinga:
this is real Madrid's midfield:
Casemiro (28) - DM
Valverde (21)
Kroos (30)
Modric (34)
Isco (28)
Camavinga (18) - DM
Casemiro has played 97% of all the available minutes. He is rarely ever injured. Modric(2021) and Isco(2022) are most likely going to stay. So where is Camavinga going to play?
The youngest french player In Madrid's squad is Ferland Mendy (25). They will have 8 total french speakers including Zidane & Camavinga.
So beside the fact of Bieng Madrid and the french Factor, for what sporting reason would he join Madrid?
Meanwhile for Our squad:
Foden (20)
Aouar (22)
Camavinga(18) - DM
Rodri (24) - DM
De Bruyne (29)
Bernardo (26)
Only Kevin, Bernardo are "guaranteed" starters.
Rodri has only had 1 season here, so he still does not have the DM position 100% on lock. Pep rotates very often.
If we get all of our targets we would also have 4 new teenage french Players joining the squad.
(Ait-Nouri, Traoré, Kouassi, Camavinga) + Aouar (22)
So what Sporting project would you rather join if you were Camavinga? Man City Or Madrid?
Mahrez was really a medium term purchase. Mostly aided by the fact that he wanted to join too. Season after next he'll be 30/31 and I imagine if theres suitors City may look to move him on, but Mahrez was never an investment for the future, more bringing in someone with PL experience to bolster options, especially because his trademark move is different to what playing Sane LW and Sterling RW can offer. Having the inverted option with Sterling LW Mahrez RW is another facet to the attack - and we all know options is what Pep and City aim for.
I dont disagree Ezzy, I hope Pep adds at least another year or two and I think he will. My point about Camavinga was because Madrid is definitely still a very appealing option regardless of what we offer. Real Madrid/Barcelona are still the pinnacle undeniably, but Pep has a certain appeal that is close to rivalling that. I wouldn't begrudge Camavinga for choosing Real. Especially considering one day sooner than us, they'll need further deep midfield options as good and reliable as Casemiro is
Hum. The problem with your "best youth project in the world" is that it is hard, really hard to be an important part of it. City is stacked with great players with more experience and who have proven things already. It is nearly impossible to break in that team. A talent like Sancho felt like he had to leave to prove his worth. You also have Foden who is showing ton of promising feats but can hardly play at City while he would prolly be a starter in Bundesliga or in Serie A. If he leaves PSG where he had a solid playing time at such a young age and even got minutes in CL, he needs to be an absolute starter in its next club.Bastoni: bieng left footed + inter not needing to sell, is part of what makes him worth more than his "experienced courter parts"
Ihattaren: agreed.
Tanguy Kouassi: Leipzig and Milan are a great short term career stepping Stones. But if you have the opportunity to join one of the best youth project in the World and be promised to be an important part of it, would you turn it down?
When (possibly) his RCB competition could be mostly just his age mates?
Aymeric Laporte (26)
Alessandro Bastoni (21)
Fernandinho (35)
Éric Garcia (19)
Tanguy Kouassi (18)
Hardwood-bellis (18)
And as Pep has shown with Rodri, his philosophy is players bieng able to play two or three Position.
His CB are expected to be able to "play CDM"
His CDM are expected to be able to "play CB"
Etc..
Camavinga:
this is real Madrid's midfield:
Casemiro (28) - DM
Valverde (21)
Kroos (30)
Modric (34)
Isco (28)
Camavinga (18) - DM
Casemiro has played 97% of all the available minutes. He is rarely ever injured. Modric(2021) and Isco(2022) are most likely going to stay. So where is Camavinga going to play?
The youngest french player In Madrid's squad is Ferland Mendy (25). They will have 8 total french speakers including Zidane & Camavinga.
So beside the fact of Bieng Madrid and the french Factor, for what sporting reason would he join Madrid?
Meanwhile for Our squad:
Foden (20)
Aouar (22)
Camavinga(18) - DM
Rodri (24) - DM
De Bruyne (29)
Bernardo (26)
Only Kevin, Bernardo are "guaranteed" starters.
Rodri has only had 1 season here, so he still does not have the DM position 100% on lock. Pep rotates very often.
If we get all of our targets we would also have 4 new teenage french Players joining the squad.
(Ait-Nouri, Traoré, Kouassi, Camavinga) + Aouar (22)
So what Sporting project would you rather join if you were Camavinga? Man City Or Madrid?
Woah, Pep who was buying most of his players at under 23 years old, were chasing 60M pound Alexis Sanchez and Mahrez for a medium term gain, and not an "investment for the future" (meaning we wanted to buy them for a season or two and then move them on?)
Do you think sterling, Bernardo, and Gabriel Jesus are going to retire here?
I never said we tried to get rid of him. We sold him because he wanted to leave.
Then in 2017 with the Sancho contract situation, what 29 year old player were we trying to sign? Sanchez.
If Nolito had not left, would we have tried to sign Sanchez? No, probably not.
And since we could not get Sanchez, we went after Mahrez the next summer.
So why would Pep want to insistent on buying an old player for his squad, just to sell him a year or two later?
Yeah, I'm thinking that now. Atletico players do like an announcement.Likely a sponsorship announcement, if he really was about to leave in 3 days there would definitely be a leak somewhere.
Hum. The problem with your "best youth project in the world" is that it is hard, really hard to be an important part of it. City is stacked with great players with more experience and who have proven things already. It is nearly impossible to break in that team. A talent like Sancho felt like he had to leave to prove his worth. You also have Foden who is showing ton of promising feats but can hardly play at City while he would prolly be a starter in Bundesliga or in Serie A. If he leaves PSG where he had a solid playing time at such a young age and even got minutes in CL, he needs to be an absolute starter in its next club.
Kouassi may look at the trajectory of Claudio Gomes, once hailed greatest talent in its generation at PSG youth, who was only loaned to the reserve team of an Eredivisie club after joining City and who is looking to find playing time in a lower tier French club now.
Obviously, i would prefer him to stay at PSG but, realistically, almost all the PSG youngsters or more largely the french youngsters (Pléa and Thruam at BMG for example) are thriving in Germany. It seems like it is an easier league for them than in France for some reason, especially the forwards. It would be the right decision for him and, more than his departure, i'll be disappointed in the fact we would lose him for 0. It is ok to lose your academy players when you at least get a decent fee.
Same with Camavinga, he needs to grow and prove himself. I don't think City or even Real Madrid is good for him at this stage of his career but we all know that when Real is calling, few refuse the call. They are also developping this strategy of hoarding the 16-20 y.o stars in the making and they are proving they can develop them successfully (Odegaard/Hakimi/Lunin on loans, Vinicius/Rodrygo Goes in the first team) which is a good argument for Camavinga.
Aouar has already proven himself at Lyon. Fits more City strategy imo: young but experienced.