Manchester City, akin to a martial arts master in the Premier League realm, has long dominated the league. However, this season has seen a bit of a "derailment." Halfway through the season, they find themselves in sixth place in the Premier League, which is the lowest league ranking in Pep Guardiola's managerial career and also the lowest position since the club's takeover. This performance has indeed come as a shock to many.
Looking back at last summer's transfer window, Manchester City was rather low-key, only bringing in the young Brazilian winger Savigno from Girona through an internal transfer. There was hardly any other activity until the deadline day when they signed their old captain Gundogan back from Barcelona. At that time, many media outlets and experts were skeptical, wondering if relying on this young and old duo could lead Manchester City to a fifth consecutive Premier League title. In hindsight, this prediction turned out to be quite conservative.
How have this young and old pair performed? Savigno, though inexperienced, has been one of the few bright spots for Manchester City in the first half of the season; Gundogan is familiar with Guardiola's tactics but struggles physically, unable to keep up. Therefore, it's clear that Manchester City needed reinforcements in this winter window, or they would really struggle.
With substantial financial resources and consistent surplus income, Manchester City embarked on a crazy "buying spree" during the winter window. Transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano's repeated "Here We Go" announcements saw Manchester City sign three players in six days, spending over €150 million. And this isn't all; according to Gianluca Di Marzio, Manchester City is very close to securing Juventus' left-back Cambiasso, with an expected transfer fee of around €65 million. If this deal goes through, the winter window's transfer expenditure will easily exceed €220 million, a stark contrast to the conservatism of the summer window, which can only be described as "extravagant."
Why has Manchester City suddenly faltered? It's a combination of "disaster" and "misfortune." The "disaster" stems from the conservative approach in the summer transfer window and the unexpected onslaught of injuries. Some key players in the team have been injured, affecting the overall strength.
As for the "misfortune," it lies with the personnel. Besides Gundogan, current captain Walker, once considered the top full-back in English football, has become a significant defensive liability; young Lewis, a midfielder playing as a defender, has also performed poorly. Since the departure of Cancelo, Guardiola has not brought in a proper full-back, and this season has been a taste of the consequences. Hence, splashing cash to bring in Cambiasso and Kusano to strengthen the defense.
The winter window's top signing, Marmoush, is quite impressive. He shone at Eintracht Frankfurt, contributing 20 goals and 13 assists in 26 appearances, a versatile forward who can both finish attacks and act as a focal point upfront. Clearly, Manchester City brought him in to alleviate the burden on Haaland.
Speaking of Haaland, another significant move by Manchester City in the summer window was renewing his contract until 2034, with a weekly salary exceeding £500,000, and removing the release clause, effectively locking him down. This move is undoubtedly stable. Everyone knows how crucial Haaland is to Manchester City's attack; keeping him means Manchester City retains its backbone.
Can these series of moves by Manchester City return the team to its peak? Judging from the transfers, they are very targeted, with reinforcements in both defense and offense. However, football is unpredictable. Whether the new signings can quickly integrate into the team and develop chemistry with the old guard is a question. Moreover, the Premier League competition is fierce, and the other opponents are no pushovers.
However, Manchester City's foundation and Guardiola's coaching abilities are undeniable. Guardiola excels at tapping into players' potential and building tactical systems. As long as the new signings adapt well, Manchester City still has a good chance of making a comeback in the second half of the Premier League season.