For Manchester City, after the Premier League has entered a period of not short off-season, the team has no chance to continue to play well in the league, but from the performance so far this season, Pep Guardiola's team has shown an unparalleled competitiveness. Whether in the Premier League or in the Champions League, they are not only the top level of European football in terms of technical and tactical level, but also one of the best teams in the five major leagues in terms of squad strength. As things stand, as long as City don't suddenly "drop the chain", they will remain one of the strongest contenders for the title of all major events this season.
From a player perspective, several of City's new signings this season have played beyond expectations. Objectively speaking, in the past transfer period, Manchester City was not the team with the most reinforcements, but they were the most rational team. For the desired transfer target, they no longer "do not care about the cost" in the transfer fee, and as far as possible to pursue the cost performance of the signing. The most representative of these is Haaland. Due to the existence of a termination clause in the contract, Manchester City almost got the top scorer at the price of "cabbage". Judging from the performance of this season, Haaland has become the hottest scorer in European football, completing 14 goals and 1 assist in all competitions. In terms of integrating into the team, Haaland has shown great adaptability and has a very good "chemistry" with his teammates around him. Arguably, with little to no possession of the ball, Haaland took City's attacking efficiency up a notch in the most efficient way.
In other terms of signings, in the left-back position, because Cucurella's value clearly exceeded the team's expectations, Manchester City decisively chose to give up and put Sergio Gomez in his pocket. This season, Sergio Gomez has made 3 league appearances with a total of 37 minutes and has not played properly due to his short playing time. However, in the Champions League, Sergio Gomez has shown a very good performance. Judging from the current situation, if he can further integrate into the team's tactical system, this season is expected to become an important choice for the team in the left-back position. In some less important events, his presence allows Cancello to get more rest time. In the position of central defender, as the team's "whistle reinforcement", the speed of Akanji's integration into the team is also surprising. He is like he has been in the team for many seasons, "like a fish" in Pep Guardiola's tactical system. Pep Guardiola also praised Akanji's performance.
With Stones often required to play as a right-back, Akanji could go a long way towards improving City's squad depth at centre-back. As a result, City have 2 capable players in almost all positions in the back line compared to last season, and such a squad reserve is very important for the team over a long season. In addition, in the midfield position, the arrival of Calvin Phillips is to make up for the team's shortcomings in the back position. Although the England international has not yet received enough opportunities this season, the transfer has been very solid both in terms of past experience and age. Especially in the second half of the league, as the fatigue of the main players accumulates, they are likely to be suspended due to injury. Over the past few seasons, City have had a memorable experience in this regard. As a result, Calvin Phillips has provided a "double insurance" for City's back position.
However, in the position of center forward, there is uncertainty about the future of Gundogan and Bernardo Silva. Among them, Gundogan has shown signs of decline in competitive status due to age, and although he still has excellent performance this season, it is obviously unrealistic to want him to maintain a very high attendance rate throughout the season. The problem with Bernardo Silva is that he has always had the idea of leaving the team. In this case, if he gets the ideal offer after the end of the season, there is still a good chance that he will choose to leave the team. In this case, Manchester City want to have a younger and more promising player in the midfield position. According to British media, Bellingham has attracted the attention of many big clubs, including Manchester City. Technically, Bellingham, who can attack and defend, can ensure that Manchester City is balanced in the midfield position. Although the transfer fee of the top midfielder may exceed 100 million euros in terms of value, the transfer is well worth trying in the case of a clear general premium in the transfer market.
In addition, in the winger position, although Graliche has scored goals this season, overall he is not in a good position in the team. From the technical point of view, he seems to be slow on the offensive end, and his ability to read the game is not good enough. As things stand, he is behind Foden in the pick. According to British media, Gralish has firmly decided to leave the team. He has already informed the broker to find the next home for him in the transfer market. For the "billion dollar man", when he transfers and leaves again, the transfer fee that Manchester City has recovered from him is likely to be only about 50 million pounds. (The picture comes from the Internet, if there is infringement, please contact to delete)