Tuesday, 4 June 2013

Some thoughts on the first signing of the summer

According to several reports (such as here and here), Manchester City's first signing of the summer will be Jesús Navas for £17 million plus add-ons from Sevilla. On the face of it signing a pacy winger who has 23 caps for Spain is a good move. Last season City were very narrow, with the width provided by full-backs pushing forward. The only option to change this was Scott Sinclair, who hardly played and barely made an impact when he did.

It's also a good sign that the transfer business is starting early. Last summer City didn't get much done in the transfer window until vary late. When they did make signings it gave the impression that a lot of second choices were being picked up to get something done. This impression was backed up by the fact that of the players signed last summer, only Matija Nastasić could claim to be a first team regular. It was also frequently blamed by Roberto Mancini for the relatively poor season.

With any transfer there are risks, but this one does come with a big risk. Navas has a history of problems with homesickness (see this report for example). While there are reports this has been overcome, citing his recent involvement in Spain's successful World Cup and Euro 2012, a trip for a few weeks is very different from living permanently in another country. City do in depth research on all signings and will no doubt have plans in place to help him settle in but it does remain a significant risk.

Overall this looks a good signing, although one with a significant risk.

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