Newcastle Bournemouth

Very harsh. In fact, not true.

Rico Lewis has made 77 appearances in the last two and a half years and has become a full England international.

James McAtee has come through the academy, had two full seasons on loan to develop at Sheffield United and performed well in the championship and admirably in a poor team in the premier league - gone back, got in their squad, and made a dozen first team appearances this season.

Oscar Bobb might be Norwegian but he’s been at city since he was 15 or 16, and is very much amongst the first team squad though has been out this season with a badly broken leg.

City spend fortunes on players from all over - that has to be said - but which big club doesn’t?

They have Foden, Lewis, McAtee and Bobb all in their first team matchday squad, all coming through their youth academy, three of which being full internationals and the other a regular u21 for England with a good goalscoring record.

They have plenty of other young pros who have made appearances and out / going out on loan as well.

They Hoover young talent up from under the noses of other clubs of course, so it’s only to be expected, but City actually bring through a lot of players.

This summer alone they sold Tommy Doyle, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Lewis Fiorini, Liam Delap and Micah Hamilton, all of which local lads, all of which had been through their academy from the age of 10 or less (except Delap who joined at 16) - for a combined fee of well in excess of £40million.

Add the hundred million they got for Alvarez and Cancelo (plus the bits and pieces for other academy players etc), City brought in the best part of £160million in transfer fees last summer, spending about £20million on Savinho.

I will assume they’ll spend a fortune this month and in the summer. Don’t get me wrong. But up to the opening of this window City were about £140million in the green on transfer dealings from the end of last season.

 

They were 140m up this year - agreed. But I would think that this will disappear over the next fortnight due to the money they'll spend. Their net spend is ridiculous over the period Pep has been in charge.

I forgot about Rico Lewis - fair point. The others you list surely prove the point? They've all had to leave to get regular first team football. Delap could have been an ideal back up to Haaland this season after Alvarez leaving. McAtee could have been integrated into the side slowly for experience, but instead he's had to seek Premier League football elsewhere. Grealish as a 100m back up on the left? Or McAtee as a young lad who's come through to play behind whoever plays on the left. Same as Tommy Doyle. A combative midfielder who would have been a very good understudy to Rodri and whoever plays in the middle. Instead he spent over 150m on Phillips, Kovacic and Nunes.

It'll be interesting to see what happens when Walker goes. It leaves Rico Lewis as the only really recognised right back. Do they give him the keys and use the academy to back him up? Or do they sign a top five right back for 70m and stunt the growth of Lewis.

Cole Palmer had to leave to get first team football? Obviously nobody could have predicted just how good he has been, but there was surely an opportunity for him to be given a go. Especially after his performance in the Charity Shield. But no, he leaves for 40m and they then spend similar money on Savinho. Admittedly, he looks very good - but surely Palmer could have learned under Bernardo.

Edit: at least Wednesday are losing.

 

The reason City are struggling to sign a holding midfield player to cover Rodri is they know their going to be on the bench most games. The way City play 100% needs that player to stop the transition and they've been caught out this season because of it. Douglas Luiz on loan from Juve would be my bet and Cambiaso is rumoured to be the full back replacement for Walker. KDB will probably leave and Grealish potentially so theres £1m per week in wages freed up. Rumour is Ferran has committed £250mill for this window if they can get the players identified.

Oh, and the lad Echeverri if he's as good as people are saying may he the next global superstar.

 

Yeah you've mentioned the Argentinian lad before, so he's definitely one to keep an eye on.

Doesn't that prove my point though regarding Rodri? Why spend 60m on someone to be a back up when surely there must be a lad coming through with the required skillset. If City know the role is so important (Fernandinho before Rodri), then the best coach in the world can identify a young talent and coach them?

Also, Douglas Luiz was a City player. Sold to Villa for about 15m. Just let these lads play.

 

There was a work permit issue with Luiz he was on loan at Girona I believe. Citys scouting for youth talent is second to none and they've a production line like no other club. There's a lad playing in MLS for example that's 15 and another one about to be signed that again if the hype is be believed both future superstars.

Pep gives young players a chance, but when they want a guarantee of game time it's difficult, hence Palmer going - although to be fair as I've already said on here he's a massive United fan and his whole family so his loyalty to City wasn't the same as Foden for example.

And on the subject of cheque book managers, Fergie was the biggest example, just buying the competitors best players was his mantra. Citys net spend btw over the Pep period is lower than quiet a few teams. They can spend the £140m profit from sales plus the £120m from the FIFA World Club tournament and still not be anywhere near FFP.