Source: mcfc.com
City fans were hit with the news earlier this year that, as a result of FFP violations – which the club dispute – City were having their Champions League squad size restricted, and a limit on the net spend for the champions. This net spend amounted to around £49 million. With The Blues not needing many improvements to their squad, they conducted their transfer business early (on the whole, anyway) and effectively.
The first player to be announced was Bacary Sagna, who had been linked with a move for some time. The right-back joined from Arsenal for free, and is expected to provide competition for Pablo Zabaleta at right-back. Gaël Clichy and Aleksandar Kolarov were used in a very effective rotation arrangement last season, and that is the same sort of thing that could happen with Sagna and Zabaleta this year. He can also fill in at centre-back, which is a big benefit for City.
Early on, City also added FC Porto’s Fernando to the sky blue ranks. The Brazilian midfielder is a player City have been chasing for some time – with rumours of interest coming as early as January – and there wasn’t really any competition for his signature. He wanted City, they wanted him, and it all fell into place. In his early appearances he has impressed City fans so far; especially so once they learned of the origin of his nickname ‘Octopus’. He earned it in a Champions League game a few years ago away at Old Trafford, for the amount of times he dispossessed Ronaldo and Rooney. For £12 million, he could turn out to be a bargain.
After Pantilimon left at the end of the season, City fans realised that they needed a new back-up keeper – or one who could challenge Joe Hart. In Willy Caballero, City have got a keeper who will keep Hart on his toes, something Pantilimon wasn’t really able to do. Already in pre-season there have been murmurings that Caballero looks more impressive than England’s first-choice, but the battle is there to be won for both of them. Joe Hart did start City’s Premier League campaign in goal.
Bruno Zuculini is a player who has been on City’s radar for some time (if you believe the papers that is). City finally signing him this summer, from Racing Club, and took him on the pre-season tours before they’d even announced him. The young midfielder looks promising, and has been loaned out to Valencia for the season.
Another central midfielder to join City is Frank Lampard – the ex-Chelsea man joined on a six-month loan before he jets off to start a new career in the MLS with New York City FC. Despite his age he’s still more than good enough to provide good cover for City’s midfielders, and even step in if he needs to. He’s likely to play cup games more than anything.
Due to having limited spending, City could only really splash out on one player this summer, and to most people that ideal player would have been Eliaquim Mangala, the Porto defender. The first rumours about him emerged at the end of last summer, and continued into January, when it was thought City were close to finalising a move. In the end they didn’t, but went back in in the summer. After a protracted saga, they finally got their man, who is now the most expensive defender in the Premier League. Thankfully, most seem to think he’ll be worth it.