I agree with those who say there is no need for more players, especially without getting rid of swarms of players who are almost forgotten, and nevertheless keep collecting their hefty paychecks every week. But... :-)
If a good stand-in for Silva is needed, this guy very much fits the bill:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathieu_Valbuena
I watched him play for France "live" and for Olimpique Marseille on TV, and was really impressed... Extremely fast (probably the fastest player in the French national squad), very technical...
Then again, if people get a taste for Bosnian talent :-), there are two fantastic players:
- one very young, technical and imaginative attacking midfielder from Lyon (20 yrs old, yet plenty of internationional experience in the Champions League and with his national team, scored the goal against Real Madrid which booted them from the CL last year), Miralem Pjanic. Google him up, he is one of the best, if not
the best, young midfielders in Europe at the moment. Here is a good start:
<a class="postlink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miralem_Pjani" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miralem_Pjani</a>ć
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yb7VJHLSzN0[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTgPPPPS7hA[/youtube]
- an experienced, highly underated central defender, Emir Spahic. Made the French Leagues "squad of the season" spot last year, even scored several goals. Arsene Wenger almost got him last summer, but his manager wouldn't let him go. Seriously, the guy is Vidic-class, though noticably more intelligent as a player:
<a class="postlink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emir_Spahi" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emir_Spahi</a>ć
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avEFodUp9so[/youtube]
It is obvious that City has started buying "smarter", since the days of Robinho et al, which is good news. All the above players would fit the bill perfectly.