A critical look at the new additions at Manchester City this season.
Following a disappointing season of failing to retain their Premier League crown and embarrassingly losing to underdogs Wigan in the FA Cup final, some rebuilding was needed at Manchester City this summer. First, Manuel Pellegrini was brought in from Malaga to replace the sacked Roberto Mancini as manager, and the club would then look to use their strong financial backing to secure some big-name additions in the key areas.
Although a whole host of names are always going to be linked with big-spending City, the club should not be too disappointed by those they missed out on, as they look to have added some real quality to their side once again this summer.
Fernandinho
City’s biggest signing of the summer was made in early June, as they added Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho to their ranks from Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk for £30m. An all-round box-to-box midfielder, Fernandinho should add more quality both in defence and driving forward than the pairing of Gareth Barry and Javi Garcia from last season. Although he is certainly an expensive purchase for a 28-year-old, a signing in that area was desperately needed for City, and his performances over the last few years for Shakhtar suggest he is the real deal.
Fernandinho has made a good start to his Premier League career so far, and will be hoping his move to this bigger stage will help him earn a place in the Brazilian national team for next summer’s World Cup, where they will be the host nation.
Overall, a good addition if he settles in England, and surely an improvement on their previous options in a vital area of the pitch. 7.5/10.
Jesus Navas
Although he raised some eyebrows due to not scoring a single goal for Sevilla last season, Jesus Navas looks like a very exciting signing for the club for £17m. The Spanish international has been one of the best wingers in the game for a number of years now since breaking through as a youngster at Sevilla, and it was only his suffering from chronic homesickness that seemed to prevent a move to a bigger club.
Finally, he has made the decision to combat his problems and move on, and his pace, dribbling, trickery and crossing from the wide areas should give City some much-needed directness to their play, with the likes of David Silva and Samir Nasri playing in a similar style and often choosing to drift inwards from the flanks. City’s strikers struggled from a lack of service last season, and Navas definitely looks like the kind of player who can provide good quality ammunition for the side’s front-men.
Pellegrini knew Navas well from his time in La Liga, and the 27-year-old was said to be one of his top targets for City as soon as he joined the club as manager, so he looks to have done well to land him for a very reasonable-looking price. Of course, it’s always a gamble with players coming from different leagues, but hopefully Navas will be able to put his problems behind him and settle in in England. If so, City will be a far better team with him in it. 8/10.
Alvaro Negredo
One of the most prolific goal-scorers in La Liga for a few years now, Alvaro Negredo joined his team-mate Navas in moving to Manchester City this summer. The 27-year-old cost the club around £20m, and they are said to have beaten off competition from the likes of Arsenal and Atletico Madrid to land him, so it’s clear his talent was much in-demand.
Although City have a great selection of strikers already at the club, Negredo has started well for them this season, and his consistent ability to put away chances could see him push above others in the pecking order. He will also benefit from having Navas at the club, as the two will know each other’s games well, and the two are a perfect match due to the winger’s ability to whip a cross in, and the poacher’s ability to pounce for scraps in the penalty box.
Negredo never finished as top scorer in La Liga, though with the numbers he is capable of reaching, and the lack of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo here in England, he could manage that achievement in the Premier League this season. 8/10.
Stevan Jovetic
Stevan Jovetic was the centre of much speculation for most of the summer before eventually moving to Manchester City for £22m. The 23-year-old really stood out as a top young talent in Serie A with his performances for former club Fiorentina, and this saw him attract strong interest from the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Juventus in the early months of the summer.
However, City will be pleased to have won the race for him, as he looks an ideal replacement for the departing Carlos Tevez. His ability to drop deep or drift wide from a forward position makes him an excellent creative player, and he has shown a great eye for goal as well. He is yet to feature for his new club due to injury, but there’s no doubt he could make a big impact for Pellegrini’s side this season as they look to win back the Premier League title.
Together with Negredo, City have done well in bringing in two of the best striker signings of the summer. 8/10.
Martin Demichelis
An emergency signing more than anything else, injuries to Vincent Kompany and Matija Nastasic forced Pellegrini into the market for a defender, eventually settling on Martin Demichelis from Atletico Madrid. Bizarrely, the Argentine had only left Pellegrini’s former club Malaga earlier this summer, and never played a game for Atletico before being confirmed as moving to the Etihad Stadium on transfer deadline day.
At £4m, he is a cheap and experienced option at the back for City, though it is known that he was not the club’s first target, as Pellegrini tried and failed to bring in Pepe from Real Madrid, and Eliaquim Mangala from Porto. Unfortunately, despite Demichelis arriving as cover, he himself is now out injured for six weeks, leaving the club in a difficult situation at the back.
Clearly not a top signing with much of a long-term future at the club at the age of 32, but a decent stop-gap once he gets fit. 5.5/10.
Overview
A highly successful summer for City, after a very disappointing one last year. Although with hindsight a new goalkeeper might have been a good idea with Joe Hart’s dip in form, most of the other key areas of the squad have been fixed.
The defence was already in pretty good shape and didn’t need much adding to until injuries took their toll, and Demichelis is certainly as good a backup player as Kolo Toure if not better, even if Pellegrini would rather have brought in someone to challenge to be first choice for the club.
The midfield has been significantly improved with the additions of Fernandinho and Navas, who in their own ways should give the side a bit more variation to their play. If they live up to their potential and settle in the Premier League, there are few better players City could have found to strengthen those two positions.
Upfront, City now look immense, with four potentially world class strikers to choose from in Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko and new additions Negredo and Jovetic. How they fit them all in is another question, but it should prove very useful for Pellegrini to have so many options to choose from, with all of them offering slightly different styles to their play.
Total spending: £93m
Overall score: 8/10.