Tuesday's B****x
Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2014 7:36 amTHE BOLLOX
Falcao - £350k-a-week
Rooney - £300k-a-week
Di Maria - £250k-a-week
Van Persie - £220k-a-week
With all City’s incoming transfers done way before last night’s deadline, we’re more than a little thin on the ground as far as fresh speculation and gossip this Tuesday morning.
As reporters up and down the country are enjoying a well-deserved lie-in following yesterday’s typically frantic activity as clubs splashed cash, plugged gaps and papered over cracks, there was only the loans of Alvaro Negredo and Micah Richards to Valencia and Fiorentina respectively, and Emyr Huws’ permanent switch to Wigan that were of any real concern to City fans.
John Guidetti’s much-touted loan move north of the border to Celtic fell through at around midnight as paper work to seal the deal wasn’t completed in time. As reported in the Daily Mail:
“The 22-year-old travelled to Glasgow, but saw the deal fall down when the registration papers from both sides failed to give the SFA enough time to process the transfer.
“Guidetti hoped to join fellow City loan signing Jason Denayer in Glasgow after just one first appearance for the English champions.”
Other players who seemed destined to depart the Etihad Stadium were Matija Nastasic who had been tracked closely by Arsenal and Spurs amongst others, as reported right here in What The Media Says, and Scott Sinclair, however nothing materialised following rumours of a potential loan move to Stoke.
Machester City fans are not happy with their club’s transfer business during the summer window.
A City fan site asked fans to give their assessment of the club’s transfer business with 24% considering it ‘not great’.
The voting option read: “Not great! We’ve only got three strikers, two of whom are injury prone and other teams improved while we stood pat? Not good.”
John Guidetti is back at Manchester City after a proposed loan move to Celtic fell through.
The deal collapsed when both sides failed to give the SFA enough time to process the paperwork for the transfer.
The 22-year-old could now be confined to appearances in the City youth ranks for the rest of the season.
One player who did complete a loan move away from the club is striker Alvaro Negredo.
The Beast returned to Spanish football to play for Valencia in La Liga for the rest of the season.
The deal is thought to include the option to make the transfer a permanent one.
Manchester City striker Alvaro Negredo has joined Valencia on a season-long loan deal.
The Spanish club have an obligation to make the deal for the 29-year-old permanent at the end of the season.
Spain international Negredo joined City last summer from Sevilla and scored 23 goals in his debut season to help the club win the Premier League title.
However, he failed to score in the last 16 games of the campaign and has not featured for the club this season.
Valencia revealed the news of the signing on their official website, stating that Negredo will be officially presented at the Mestalla stadium on Tuesday.
"Valencia CF wish to express their happiness with the signing and repeat the invitation to all Valencianistas to welcome Alvaro Negredo to Mestalla," they added.
Negredo began his professional career at Rayo Vallecano before joining Real Madrid in 2005 but it was with Almeria and then Sevilla that the striker made his name.
A total of 31 goals in 73 games for Almeria followed by 85 goals from 180 games for Sevilla after joining the club in July 2009 resulted in a big-money move to City.
After an impressive start to his City career his form tailed off, partly as a result of injury, over the second half of his debut season.
Negredo has won 21 international caps, scoring 10 goals, and was part of Spain's victorious Euro 2012 squad.
Micah Richards: 'Manchester City always in my heart and soul'
Micah Richards has expressed his gratitude towards Manchester City after sealing a season-long loan move to Fiorentina.
The 26-year-old signed for the Italian outfit on deadline day yesterday after falling down the ranks at the Etihad Stadium.
Richards, who has struggled to challenge Pablo Zabaleta for the first-choice right-back spot, has spent 13 years with City having joined their youth setup in 2001 before making his senior debut four years later.
After completing his move to Fiorentina, Richards wrote on Twitter: "Thanks for all the good luck msgs today. Will always love @MCFC . New challenge ahead @ACF_Fiorentina.
"City will always be my heart and soul. Thank u to everyone at the club over the last 12 years. Ctid xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx."
The Serie A side are believed to have paid a £3.6m loan fee.
Complete Analysis of Manchester City's Transfer Window Activity
Manchester City's summer transfer campaign ended relatively quietly—compared to some domestic rivals—on Monday as the window slammed shut. The reigning Premier League champions got their business taken care of pretty early on in the offseason, sealing a host of solid signings before the start of the new league season.
All in all, it's been a productive if a little low-key window for City.
The action got started in June as they agreed to sign former Arsenal right-back Bacary Sagna on a free transfer. The experienced defender made his debut in Saturday's loss to Stoke City, playing the full 90 minutes. His solidity will help provide Pablo Zabaleta with much-needed rest over the long season.
While the 31-year-old Frenchman won't be the undisputed starter he was at the Emirates, he will certainly be a capable substitute as the warrior that is Zabaleta could run himself into the ground at times.
Micah Richards certainly could have filled that void, but an injury-hit last couple of years combined with Zabaleta's form all but pushed him out of his boyhood club. His deadline-day loan move to Fiorentina looks like the stepping stone to a full-time exit after his long-term stay in Manchester.
Skipper Vincent Kompany paid tribute to his departing team-mate and defensive companion on Twitter:
It is unfortunate that Richards had to go, largely due to his standing within the club. He's been a mainstay for quite some time and had all the potential in the world—as evidenced by his becoming the youngest English defender to receive a senior cap for the Three Lions.
Next in line entering the club came Porto's central midfielder Fernando Reges. After a saga that dated back to a failed move last January, the Brazilian was snapped up in June for a modest €15 million (£12 million), as the Mirror's Ed Malyon noted.
Fernando, like his compatriot Fernandinho, is a defensive-minded midfielder who will consistently put himself into tackles and win balls for his team. He picked up his nickname, "the Octopus," after one such performance against Manchester United, as noted by the Express' Richard Tanner.
His tough-tackling nature perfectly complements Yaya Toure's rampaging attacking tendencies. And for a pretty minimal fee for the quality, this was a shrewd signing under the auspices of Financial Fair Play.
Two summer departures at the same position freed up room for the Brazilian as Javi Garcia was sold to Zenit St. Petersburg, while Jack Rodwell moved to Sunderland.
The club's statement on the former's transfer noted that the Spaniard "endured a fragmented initiation to English football due to a troublesome thigh injury" after his move from Benfica. His lack of playing time and spotty form seemed to keep observers' opinions of him down throughout his two seasons at City.
But Garcia was a key figure in the title run-in last season, especially when Kompany was sent off in the away match at Hull last March. Garcia's defensive performance in that game was admirable, and his side went on to pick up three crucial points.
In the end, he didn't quite live up to his potential, borne from the nearly £16 million Roberto Mancini shelled out for him.
Rodwell's fate was similar in that his transfer fee—the Mirror put it at up to £15 million—set a lofty standard for a then 21-year-old midfielder. It didn't quite work out as injuries hit him hard, with his only two goals coming in a 3-2 loss to Norwich at the end of the 2012/13 season.
Two Argentines later came into the fold in the form of goalkeeper Willy Caballero and midfielder Bruno Zuculini. The latter, who has been loaned to Valencia, was plucked straight from Argentina by Pellegrini and was a massive revelation during City's pre-season tour of the United States.
Caballero, on the other hand, was snagged from Pellegrini's former club Malaga for a fairly modest £6 million. Former deputy Costel Pantilimon, who was decent enough in a string of starts midway through last season, signed with Sunderland.
Caballero brings plenty of top-level experience with him from Spain to England and should definitely get his fair share of playing time over City's long season.
City's most heralded signing of the summer came in August as Porto defender Eliaquim Mangala finally put an end to the months of speculation by joining City over the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United.
For a Premier League-record fee for a defender of £32 million, City ended up with one of the best defensive prospects in Europe. He's a powerful figure with a good passing record but is somewhat unproven at the highest level, with B/R's Sam Tighe describing the France international as "a raw prospect."
He saw no playing time in France's four games at the World Cup, but he should be slated for plenty of action over the course of the next eight months.
Also brought in was former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard. The former England international joined on loan after signing for City-owned New York City FC in July. His talent and wealth of experience will bring a nice boost to his side's midfield when required.
From there, things went pretty quiet for City outside of a loan for midfield starlet Marcos Lopes (to Lille) and a permanent deal for Emyr Huws (to Wigan). However, things changed quickly on deadline day.
Noted earlier was the departure of Micah Richards to Fiorentina. City's longest-serving player was pushed down the pecking order by injuries and the emergence of Pablo Zabaleta, and bringing in Bacary Sagna spelled the end for the Englishman.
Flying under the radar somewhat was Huws' switch to Wigan being made permanent. Former City player Uwe Rosler, now the Latics' manager, was enthralled with his newest signing:“
Emyr has impressed everyone since arriving at the club, and we feel that he can have a major role to play in the future of the club.
Everybody can see what a very talented player Emyr is, and from the first training session with us leading through to the games he has played, he has been very good.
At just 20 years old he is already with the full Welsh national team and the chance to sign him on a long-term contract was too good an opportunity to turn down. ”
As Rosler said, Huws is a supremely talented player, but his opportunities to crack City's squad would have been limited. He deserved his move, which will help him reach his full potential.
Finally, the big move came late on as Alvaro Negredo joined Valencia. The deal is a one-year loan with, as noted by City, the Spanish club obligated to purchase the currently injured "Beast" at the end of the season. As noted by the Telegraph's Mark Ogden, the transaction will cost Los Che £23.8 million.
After joining last year from Sevilla, Negredo got off to a blistering start, firing in goals left and right—plus this magical moment where he assisted a Sergio Aguero goal by doing literally nothing.
However, a shoulder injury in the winter saw him miss extended time and he never quite got his touch back. This led to him missing Spain's World Cup squad—as did former City and Sevilla mate Jesus Navas—but he looked set to return to form this season.
He assisted a goal in a pre-season friendly against Scottish side Hearts before breaking his foot later on. The injury, plus Stevan Jovetic's emergence, may have facilitated the big striker's exit.
While City do bring in a handsome bit of money from this transaction to partially cover the massive fee spent on Mangala, they do lose a top-level player.
The 29-year-old bagged 23 goals before his injury, a sum that led the team at the time. Combine that with the injury-riddled pasts of Aguero and Jovetic and you wouldn't be faulted for questioning this move. Edin Dzeko is left as the only true "target man" in the squad.
However, as B/R's Rob Pollard noted, City's scheme doesn't necessitate having great striking depth. A 4-2-3-1 with a midfield trio of David Silva, Samir Nasri and Jesus Navas allows for the use of a single striker while maintaining attacking abilities.
In the end, City brought in a host of players to fill in trouble areas on the pitch and did so while staying well within the Financial Fair Play restrictions. Players further down in the pecking order were shipped out to recoup some funds as necessary.
It looks like a second successful summer for Pellegrini. Hopefully for him, he can repeat his team's end result as well and defend their Premier League title.
Manchester City’s best XI with all the summer signings
Manchester City could hardly be described as suffering the famine after the feast. But, with FIFA FairPlay kicking in Manchester City have been forced to be far less liberal with the cash than they have in the last few seasons.
The marquee signing for the deadline day would of course have been Radamel Falcao but that one didn’t pan out – and that leaves the rest of the title chasers with at least a glimmer of hope of taking the crown off City come May.
But the acquisition of Eliaquim Mangala is an excellent one. The guy is an absolute rock and will slot in next to..well, another absolute rock in Vincent Kompany. The defence looks particularly strong, with with Sagna further supplementing the side, and the addition of Fernando will add yet more depth to the City midfield.
With so many good players in and around the first team City have safeguarded against the sort of injury crisis that could seriously curtail their ambitions.
Of the summer additions, perhaps only Mangala can expect to walk straight into the team. And walk in to our strongest City XI he does.
So here it is, pending last minute acquisitions that go under the radar on deadline day itself. Manchester City fans: is this the best 11?
Manchester City: Hart, Zabaleta, Mangala, Kompany, Clichy, Nasri, Toure, Fernandinho, Silva, Aguero, Dzeko
Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo, 29, says Colombia striker Radamel Falcao, 28, will be a fantastic signing for Manchester United. (Daily Mirror)
Falcao will earn £350,000 per week at Old Trafford as part of a £24m outlay by United. (Daily Express)
Falcao is a fortunate man as he has had two 'dreams come true' in a matter of days (The B*ll*x)
Former United first-team coach Rene Meulensteen believes striker Danny Welbeck, 23, is the perfect match for Arsenal. (Sky Sports)
Liverpool striker Fabio Borini's £10m move to QPR broke down because the 23-year-old could not agree personal terms. (DSSC)
The Reds are likely to sign former Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes, 32, as a free agent in October. (Independent)
Toronto FC striker Jermain Defoe, 31, failed in his attempts to find a Premier League club on deadline day despite travelling to England to push through a deal. (Daily Telegraph)
Aston Villa midfielder Fabian Delph, 24, reveals a summer working out with a personal trainer has helped him win an England call-up. (Daily Mirror)
West Brom midfielder Craig Gardner, 27, says head coach Alan Irvine will lift the side after they failed to win any of their opening three Premier League games. (Birmingham Mail)
The Baggies have sent defender Joleon Lescott, 32, to an American boot camp in a bid to get him fit to face Everton on 13 September. (Express & Star)
Hull City boss Steve Bruce admits it will be a challenge to get the best out of winger Hatem Ben Arfa, 27, who has joined on loan from Newcastle. (Sunderland Echo)
Tigers goalkeeper Steve Harper, 39 could end his playing career to take over as the new manager of League Two side Carlisle United. ( Sun)
Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson, 24, says he is surprised that England supporters have been so supportive after the national team's poor showing in the World Cup this summer. (Daily Star)
Aston Villa's Shay Given, 38, says he did not demand to be Martin O'Neill's first choice as Republic of Ireland goalkeeper following his decision to come out of international retirement. (the Times)
A record low attendance for an England match at the new Wembley is expected for the friendly against Norway on Wednesday night . (Guardian)
England Under-21s manager Gareth Southgate has told Crystal Palace's on-loan winger Wilfried Zaha, 21, that he must play his way back into the international set-up. (Daily Star)
Hull midfielder David Meyler, 25, played a deadline-day prank on his Twitter followers with a cheeky two-part post, which began "looks like I'm off… " - only to follow up with " …to the cinema - sorry, forgot to put that part in!"
Hyde FC - bottom of the Conference North - joked on Twitter that they rejected the chance to sign Falcao.
Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville jokingly claimed to have played a part in bringing Falcao to Old Trafford by posting a picture of him with the striker on Twitter along with the message: "Ah I knew that late night bottle of red might pay off!! Haha"
Barcelona striker Luis Suarez, 27, returned to Liverpool on deadline day - posing for an Instagram photograph with captain Steven Gerrard.
Russian club Zenit St Petersburg completed the oddest transfer deadline-day deal - by signing Bart Simpson as their new mascot. (Zenit St Petersburg)
Liverpool forward Raheem Sterling, 19, admits he was confused by manager Brendan Rodgers' joke about his fluffed finish against Tottenham, saying he had to Google both 'Ricky Gervais' and 'Ricky Villa'. (Daily Express)
more bollox shortly
Falcao - £350k-a-week
Rooney - £300k-a-week
Di Maria - £250k-a-week
Van Persie - £220k-a-week
With all City’s incoming transfers done way before last night’s deadline, we’re more than a little thin on the ground as far as fresh speculation and gossip this Tuesday morning.
As reporters up and down the country are enjoying a well-deserved lie-in following yesterday’s typically frantic activity as clubs splashed cash, plugged gaps and papered over cracks, there was only the loans of Alvaro Negredo and Micah Richards to Valencia and Fiorentina respectively, and Emyr Huws’ permanent switch to Wigan that were of any real concern to City fans.
John Guidetti’s much-touted loan move north of the border to Celtic fell through at around midnight as paper work to seal the deal wasn’t completed in time. As reported in the Daily Mail:
“The 22-year-old travelled to Glasgow, but saw the deal fall down when the registration papers from both sides failed to give the SFA enough time to process the transfer.
“Guidetti hoped to join fellow City loan signing Jason Denayer in Glasgow after just one first appearance for the English champions.”
Other players who seemed destined to depart the Etihad Stadium were Matija Nastasic who had been tracked closely by Arsenal and Spurs amongst others, as reported right here in What The Media Says, and Scott Sinclair, however nothing materialised following rumours of a potential loan move to Stoke.
Machester City fans are not happy with their club’s transfer business during the summer window.
A City fan site asked fans to give their assessment of the club’s transfer business with 24% considering it ‘not great’.
The voting option read: “Not great! We’ve only got three strikers, two of whom are injury prone and other teams improved while we stood pat? Not good.”
John Guidetti is back at Manchester City after a proposed loan move to Celtic fell through.
The deal collapsed when both sides failed to give the SFA enough time to process the paperwork for the transfer.
The 22-year-old could now be confined to appearances in the City youth ranks for the rest of the season.
One player who did complete a loan move away from the club is striker Alvaro Negredo.
The Beast returned to Spanish football to play for Valencia in La Liga for the rest of the season.
The deal is thought to include the option to make the transfer a permanent one.
Manchester City striker Alvaro Negredo has joined Valencia on a season-long loan deal.
The Spanish club have an obligation to make the deal for the 29-year-old permanent at the end of the season.
Spain international Negredo joined City last summer from Sevilla and scored 23 goals in his debut season to help the club win the Premier League title.
However, he failed to score in the last 16 games of the campaign and has not featured for the club this season.
Valencia revealed the news of the signing on their official website, stating that Negredo will be officially presented at the Mestalla stadium on Tuesday.
"Valencia CF wish to express their happiness with the signing and repeat the invitation to all Valencianistas to welcome Alvaro Negredo to Mestalla," they added.
Negredo began his professional career at Rayo Vallecano before joining Real Madrid in 2005 but it was with Almeria and then Sevilla that the striker made his name.
A total of 31 goals in 73 games for Almeria followed by 85 goals from 180 games for Sevilla after joining the club in July 2009 resulted in a big-money move to City.
After an impressive start to his City career his form tailed off, partly as a result of injury, over the second half of his debut season.
Negredo has won 21 international caps, scoring 10 goals, and was part of Spain's victorious Euro 2012 squad.
Micah Richards: 'Manchester City always in my heart and soul'
Micah Richards has expressed his gratitude towards Manchester City after sealing a season-long loan move to Fiorentina.
The 26-year-old signed for the Italian outfit on deadline day yesterday after falling down the ranks at the Etihad Stadium.
Richards, who has struggled to challenge Pablo Zabaleta for the first-choice right-back spot, has spent 13 years with City having joined their youth setup in 2001 before making his senior debut four years later.
After completing his move to Fiorentina, Richards wrote on Twitter: "Thanks for all the good luck msgs today. Will always love @MCFC . New challenge ahead @ACF_Fiorentina.
"City will always be my heart and soul. Thank u to everyone at the club over the last 12 years. Ctid xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx."
The Serie A side are believed to have paid a £3.6m loan fee.
Complete Analysis of Manchester City's Transfer Window Activity
Manchester City's summer transfer campaign ended relatively quietly—compared to some domestic rivals—on Monday as the window slammed shut. The reigning Premier League champions got their business taken care of pretty early on in the offseason, sealing a host of solid signings before the start of the new league season.
All in all, it's been a productive if a little low-key window for City.
The action got started in June as they agreed to sign former Arsenal right-back Bacary Sagna on a free transfer. The experienced defender made his debut in Saturday's loss to Stoke City, playing the full 90 minutes. His solidity will help provide Pablo Zabaleta with much-needed rest over the long season.
While the 31-year-old Frenchman won't be the undisputed starter he was at the Emirates, he will certainly be a capable substitute as the warrior that is Zabaleta could run himself into the ground at times.
Micah Richards certainly could have filled that void, but an injury-hit last couple of years combined with Zabaleta's form all but pushed him out of his boyhood club. His deadline-day loan move to Fiorentina looks like the stepping stone to a full-time exit after his long-term stay in Manchester.
Skipper Vincent Kompany paid tribute to his departing team-mate and defensive companion on Twitter:
It is unfortunate that Richards had to go, largely due to his standing within the club. He's been a mainstay for quite some time and had all the potential in the world—as evidenced by his becoming the youngest English defender to receive a senior cap for the Three Lions.
Next in line entering the club came Porto's central midfielder Fernando Reges. After a saga that dated back to a failed move last January, the Brazilian was snapped up in June for a modest €15 million (£12 million), as the Mirror's Ed Malyon noted.
Fernando, like his compatriot Fernandinho, is a defensive-minded midfielder who will consistently put himself into tackles and win balls for his team. He picked up his nickname, "the Octopus," after one such performance against Manchester United, as noted by the Express' Richard Tanner.
His tough-tackling nature perfectly complements Yaya Toure's rampaging attacking tendencies. And for a pretty minimal fee for the quality, this was a shrewd signing under the auspices of Financial Fair Play.
Two summer departures at the same position freed up room for the Brazilian as Javi Garcia was sold to Zenit St. Petersburg, while Jack Rodwell moved to Sunderland.
The club's statement on the former's transfer noted that the Spaniard "endured a fragmented initiation to English football due to a troublesome thigh injury" after his move from Benfica. His lack of playing time and spotty form seemed to keep observers' opinions of him down throughout his two seasons at City.
But Garcia was a key figure in the title run-in last season, especially when Kompany was sent off in the away match at Hull last March. Garcia's defensive performance in that game was admirable, and his side went on to pick up three crucial points.
In the end, he didn't quite live up to his potential, borne from the nearly £16 million Roberto Mancini shelled out for him.
Rodwell's fate was similar in that his transfer fee—the Mirror put it at up to £15 million—set a lofty standard for a then 21-year-old midfielder. It didn't quite work out as injuries hit him hard, with his only two goals coming in a 3-2 loss to Norwich at the end of the 2012/13 season.
Two Argentines later came into the fold in the form of goalkeeper Willy Caballero and midfielder Bruno Zuculini. The latter, who has been loaned to Valencia, was plucked straight from Argentina by Pellegrini and was a massive revelation during City's pre-season tour of the United States.
Caballero, on the other hand, was snagged from Pellegrini's former club Malaga for a fairly modest £6 million. Former deputy Costel Pantilimon, who was decent enough in a string of starts midway through last season, signed with Sunderland.
Caballero brings plenty of top-level experience with him from Spain to England and should definitely get his fair share of playing time over City's long season.
City's most heralded signing of the summer came in August as Porto defender Eliaquim Mangala finally put an end to the months of speculation by joining City over the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United.
For a Premier League-record fee for a defender of £32 million, City ended up with one of the best defensive prospects in Europe. He's a powerful figure with a good passing record but is somewhat unproven at the highest level, with B/R's Sam Tighe describing the France international as "a raw prospect."
He saw no playing time in France's four games at the World Cup, but he should be slated for plenty of action over the course of the next eight months.
Also brought in was former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard. The former England international joined on loan after signing for City-owned New York City FC in July. His talent and wealth of experience will bring a nice boost to his side's midfield when required.
From there, things went pretty quiet for City outside of a loan for midfield starlet Marcos Lopes (to Lille) and a permanent deal for Emyr Huws (to Wigan). However, things changed quickly on deadline day.
Noted earlier was the departure of Micah Richards to Fiorentina. City's longest-serving player was pushed down the pecking order by injuries and the emergence of Pablo Zabaleta, and bringing in Bacary Sagna spelled the end for the Englishman.
Flying under the radar somewhat was Huws' switch to Wigan being made permanent. Former City player Uwe Rosler, now the Latics' manager, was enthralled with his newest signing:“
Emyr has impressed everyone since arriving at the club, and we feel that he can have a major role to play in the future of the club.
Everybody can see what a very talented player Emyr is, and from the first training session with us leading through to the games he has played, he has been very good.
At just 20 years old he is already with the full Welsh national team and the chance to sign him on a long-term contract was too good an opportunity to turn down. ”
As Rosler said, Huws is a supremely talented player, but his opportunities to crack City's squad would have been limited. He deserved his move, which will help him reach his full potential.
Finally, the big move came late on as Alvaro Negredo joined Valencia. The deal is a one-year loan with, as noted by City, the Spanish club obligated to purchase the currently injured "Beast" at the end of the season. As noted by the Telegraph's Mark Ogden, the transaction will cost Los Che £23.8 million.
After joining last year from Sevilla, Negredo got off to a blistering start, firing in goals left and right—plus this magical moment where he assisted a Sergio Aguero goal by doing literally nothing.
However, a shoulder injury in the winter saw him miss extended time and he never quite got his touch back. This led to him missing Spain's World Cup squad—as did former City and Sevilla mate Jesus Navas—but he looked set to return to form this season.
He assisted a goal in a pre-season friendly against Scottish side Hearts before breaking his foot later on. The injury, plus Stevan Jovetic's emergence, may have facilitated the big striker's exit.
While City do bring in a handsome bit of money from this transaction to partially cover the massive fee spent on Mangala, they do lose a top-level player.
The 29-year-old bagged 23 goals before his injury, a sum that led the team at the time. Combine that with the injury-riddled pasts of Aguero and Jovetic and you wouldn't be faulted for questioning this move. Edin Dzeko is left as the only true "target man" in the squad.
However, as B/R's Rob Pollard noted, City's scheme doesn't necessitate having great striking depth. A 4-2-3-1 with a midfield trio of David Silva, Samir Nasri and Jesus Navas allows for the use of a single striker while maintaining attacking abilities.
In the end, City brought in a host of players to fill in trouble areas on the pitch and did so while staying well within the Financial Fair Play restrictions. Players further down in the pecking order were shipped out to recoup some funds as necessary.
It looks like a second successful summer for Pellegrini. Hopefully for him, he can repeat his team's end result as well and defend their Premier League title.
Manchester City’s best XI with all the summer signings
Manchester City could hardly be described as suffering the famine after the feast. But, with FIFA FairPlay kicking in Manchester City have been forced to be far less liberal with the cash than they have in the last few seasons.
The marquee signing for the deadline day would of course have been Radamel Falcao but that one didn’t pan out – and that leaves the rest of the title chasers with at least a glimmer of hope of taking the crown off City come May.
But the acquisition of Eliaquim Mangala is an excellent one. The guy is an absolute rock and will slot in next to..well, another absolute rock in Vincent Kompany. The defence looks particularly strong, with with Sagna further supplementing the side, and the addition of Fernando will add yet more depth to the City midfield.
With so many good players in and around the first team City have safeguarded against the sort of injury crisis that could seriously curtail their ambitions.
Of the summer additions, perhaps only Mangala can expect to walk straight into the team. And walk in to our strongest City XI he does.
So here it is, pending last minute acquisitions that go under the radar on deadline day itself. Manchester City fans: is this the best 11?
Manchester City: Hart, Zabaleta, Mangala, Kompany, Clichy, Nasri, Toure, Fernandinho, Silva, Aguero, Dzeko
Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo, 29, says Colombia striker Radamel Falcao, 28, will be a fantastic signing for Manchester United. (Daily Mirror)
Falcao will earn £350,000 per week at Old Trafford as part of a £24m outlay by United. (Daily Express)
Falcao is a fortunate man as he has had two 'dreams come true' in a matter of days (The B*ll*x)
Former United first-team coach Rene Meulensteen believes striker Danny Welbeck, 23, is the perfect match for Arsenal. (Sky Sports)
Liverpool striker Fabio Borini's £10m move to QPR broke down because the 23-year-old could not agree personal terms. (DSSC)
The Reds are likely to sign former Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes, 32, as a free agent in October. (Independent)
Toronto FC striker Jermain Defoe, 31, failed in his attempts to find a Premier League club on deadline day despite travelling to England to push through a deal. (Daily Telegraph)
Aston Villa midfielder Fabian Delph, 24, reveals a summer working out with a personal trainer has helped him win an England call-up. (Daily Mirror)
West Brom midfielder Craig Gardner, 27, says head coach Alan Irvine will lift the side after they failed to win any of their opening three Premier League games. (Birmingham Mail)
The Baggies have sent defender Joleon Lescott, 32, to an American boot camp in a bid to get him fit to face Everton on 13 September. (Express & Star)
Hull City boss Steve Bruce admits it will be a challenge to get the best out of winger Hatem Ben Arfa, 27, who has joined on loan from Newcastle. (Sunderland Echo)
Tigers goalkeeper Steve Harper, 39 could end his playing career to take over as the new manager of League Two side Carlisle United. ( Sun)
Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson, 24, says he is surprised that England supporters have been so supportive after the national team's poor showing in the World Cup this summer. (Daily Star)
Aston Villa's Shay Given, 38, says he did not demand to be Martin O'Neill's first choice as Republic of Ireland goalkeeper following his decision to come out of international retirement. (the Times)
A record low attendance for an England match at the new Wembley is expected for the friendly against Norway on Wednesday night . (Guardian)
England Under-21s manager Gareth Southgate has told Crystal Palace's on-loan winger Wilfried Zaha, 21, that he must play his way back into the international set-up. (Daily Star)
Hull midfielder David Meyler, 25, played a deadline-day prank on his Twitter followers with a cheeky two-part post, which began "looks like I'm off… " - only to follow up with " …to the cinema - sorry, forgot to put that part in!"
Hyde FC - bottom of the Conference North - joked on Twitter that they rejected the chance to sign Falcao.
Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville jokingly claimed to have played a part in bringing Falcao to Old Trafford by posting a picture of him with the striker on Twitter along with the message: "Ah I knew that late night bottle of red might pay off!! Haha"
Barcelona striker Luis Suarez, 27, returned to Liverpool on deadline day - posing for an Instagram photograph with captain Steven Gerrard.
Russian club Zenit St Petersburg completed the oddest transfer deadline-day deal - by signing Bart Simpson as their new mascot. (Zenit St Petersburg)
Liverpool forward Raheem Sterling, 19, admits he was confused by manager Brendan Rodgers' joke about his fluffed finish against Tottenham, saying he had to Google both 'Ricky Gervais' and 'Ricky Villa'. (Daily Express)
more bollox shortly
