I suggested this may be the case months ago and got killed on here...well guess what? It is stone cold obvious that we've changed the way we move in the market since the charges were announced and even more so after the hearing for this Fall was announced. If God forbid we lose the case, SM will cut his losses and the club will be sold.
Does Sheikh Mansour strike you as the kind of man who'd cut & run from the jewel in his crown? Pep has always worked with a small, high quality squad as a way of ensuring players get meaningful game time, & to lessen the chance of having unhappy players in the dressing room.
City have also always sought value in the transfer market, so will not overpay for targets, or make panic buys just for the sake of it. It's a high risk strategy, but one which has worked well during Pep's tenure.
We all recognise there needs to be an evolution of our squad, & I have confidence we have a plan of action going forward. Evolution is the word, not revolution.
I can see Walker leaving for Sheffield in the summer, & Gundog becoming a player/coach. I can also see KDB retiring from international football & being given a 12 month extension with a club option of a year, but I suspect his heir will be brought in & groomed to succeed him.
I've never seen the point of Nunes & because of the Rodri injury, I can see us wanting to go big in that respect. I think Bernardo will see out his contract & either extend for two years, or see out his career with Benfica.
This summer will be big for City for many reasons, & I can see Txiki wanting to leave a legacy & Viana wanting to make his mark. I'm not too concerned with the 115, because every time an outside arbiter has looked at City, they've told UEFA/PL to go fuck themselves & I suspect the same will happen here.
City are the best run club in the world, with a class leading infrastructure. We just need to keep cool heads & trust in the professionals who run the club. Pep has already said City won't make the same mistake where he's concerned, as the Rags did with Ferguson.
Having said that, I also hope/expect Pep to sign an extension so he can manage us at the Club World Club, & build the next iteration of his squad. The foundations are in place, & with 3-4 key signings, I think we'll be there or there abouts for the next 2-3 seasons.