Although Manchester City’s “golden rule” for retaining departing talents is well known, the details occasionally get buried.
Anyone who wants to quit is free to do so, but only if they have a reasonable proposal. The reason Paris Saint-Germain’s proposal for Bernardo Silva last summer was basically rejected was because it came too close to the transfer deadline. City is not a charity prepared to let players walk away for pennies, and they also take time into consideration in any calculation.
Time is relative, of course, and City is starting the new season unusually late with its players still enjoying their vacations after other clubs have reported back to begin their preseason training. That is partially due to the team’s planned strategy, but it also reflects the fact that their season concluded two weeks later than everyone else’s and before all but one Premier League club.
The transfer window doesn’t have any panic stations either. There is still plenty of time for the signing of RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol, despite the impatience of some supporters.
The selection about departures is rather more urgent. Three players, including Bernardo Silva, Kyle Walker, and Riyad Mahrez, are considering their choices for the upcoming season. If City’s policy is to wait for those decisions before taking any action in the transfer market, then a deadline may need to be enforced.
Given that Mateo Kovacic has arrived and Joao Cancelo or Aymeric Laporte might also leave without further reinforcement (if Gvardiol comes anyhow), City may not necessary need to replace Ilkay Gundogan, but those three would necessitate action. It is starting to feel as that action needs to be taken sooner rather than later given the ripple effects inside the squad.
Walker leaving for Bayern would be a setback for City because they lack a replacement with Walker’s particular set of skills. Rico Lewis is more comparable to John Stones, and unless Cancelo were to miraculously recover, Pep Guardiola would be left with just Lewis at fullback and similarly sparse numbers throughout the defence.
If Bernardo or Mahrez, or both, decided to move to Saudi Arabia, the midfield and offence would be similarly squeezed. In a season where City may play more games than ever before, that would leave the manager with only eight or nine possibilities to cover six positions every three days.
Cole Palmer’s decision to play Mahrez on the right wing this season may have changed as a result of his loss, and James McAtee may have benefited greatly from Bernardo’s departure. Even though City wants to be considerate of the first-team players who are debating their options, they also have a duty to choose wisely for the young players. If there are no openings at the Etihad, they must arrange a very good loan to give them the best chance to advance.
City will believe they have an obligation to let their first-team stars decide for themselves about their futures, but that doesn’t mean they can take as much time as they like.