Manchester City CEO Ferran Soriano spoke two years ago about a transfer need that hasn’t been sorted ahead of the summer window
It is 2022. Erling Haaland has been confirmed as Manchester City’s latest addition. The club just won the Premier League for the fourth time in five years, defeating Liverpool by a point following a thrilling comeback against Aston Villa on the final day.
Since things aren’t going to get any better, CEO Ferran Soriano’s response to a question regarding the transfer market highlights their advantages.
“Two things need to change,” he declared. “We have one [in Haaland], but we need a striker. We also need to replace Fernandinho. Rodri, we have one, but because the season is so lengthy, we need another.”
In addition to adding defender Manu Akanji at the last minute when Pep Guardiola became concerned about the depth of his backline, City also recruited goalkeeper Stefan Ortega on a free transfer to cover for Ederson. However, Kalvin Phillips was the midfield addition. Phillips had made an impact for Leeds in the Premier League and represented England in important competitions.
Two summers later, Rodri has moved to openly asking for rest after a request to coaches last summer went largely unanswered, Phillips is nowhere near City’s ambitions, and Soriano is warning that the increasing number of games on the calendar indicates a “crisis.” Due to suspension, the Spanish midfielder nearly missed as many games as he did during the previous campaign.
It’s not easy to persuade a player to come and play second fiddle to Rodri; Declan Rice’s decision to choose Arsenal during the summer has been validated, despite the fact that he does not possess a Premier League winners’ gold. Nevertheless, this shouldn’t stop City from taking action. Julian Alvarez is a living example of how it is possible to acquire a very good player to cover for the world’s top player at a position.
If Soriano was aware of the truth in 2022, he was also aware of it when they relocated for Rice in 2023, and he still knows the truth for this summer. City must keep Rodri safe for the upcoming hardships as he represents Spain at the European Championship.
Given the uncertainty around the futures of Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva going into the summer, there may seem to be more pressing fires to put out in the midfield and even during the transfer window. Savio is anticipated to show up, but it’s unclear if he will stick with Guardiola’s team.
Giving Rodri the assistance he needs to continue being the top player in his position is even more important than it was two years ago, despite the fact that adding a squad player may not seem like the most exciting move.
