๐จ๐ตโช๏ธ BREAKING: Ayyoub Bouaddi to Manchester City, here we go! Deal agreed club to club.
Fee to reach โฌ100m package with add-ons, as @FabriceHawkins reports. Green light from Lille to the sale.
Bouaddi agreed terms with City in July and now set to join #MCFC project.
@FabrizioRomano Heโs actually a top player and worth the inclusion.
Rashford is a dedicated starlet in the world of football and such trust can not be underestimated
I wouldn't say that we "lost" Bernardo Silva, Rodri (almost), and Pep Guardiola this summer.
Truth be told, we have moved beyond them, and the club clearly has a plan for rebuilding, not with short-term gains in mind, but with a proper long-term strategy.
I have seen a lot of criticism directed towards Hugo Viana and the rest of the club hierarchy over the fact that we are not signing "superstars". But think about it for a second. It is extremely difficult to rebuild the core of a successful football club, especially when you are essentially trying to do it from scratch.
We have been criticised for spending huge amounts of money over the last 15 years, but it is worth remembering that it has been very rare for us to go out and sign a traditional "galactico". Our recruitment model has generally been about identifying players who fit the system, developing them, and creating a squad that can sustain success over multiple cycles.
Think about the current approach. The idea is to sign young, high-potential players while retaining mature players who can provide leadership and stability. Mateo Kovacic and Ruben Dias are good examples of that balance.
We also signed Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo this January, which clearly fits into the long-term plan while simultaneously providing a short-term boost to the squad. Elliot Anderson might have been overpriced, but he provides something we desperately need in midfield: physicality, aggression, intensity and the ability to cover ground.
Nico Gonzalez has also developed considerably over the past year and is now ready to take on the No. 6 role more consistently.
The signings of Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis, alongside the contract extensions of Jeremy Doku and Phil Foden, further indicate what the formula is supposed to look like. Retain the players who are entering or already in their prime, while simultaneously bringing in young players with extremely high ceilings who can become the next core of the team.
This is not a strategy designed to guarantee instant gratification. It is a strategy designed to build the next Manchester City.
Moving forward, I genuinely hope the fans, who can often be extremely reactionary and emotional, give the club the time and patience required to properly execute this plan.
The disconnect is quite simple. A lot of fans are thinking in terms of short-term victories, big-name signings and immediate fixes. The club appears to be thinking in terms of sustainable growth, squad evolution and building a team that can compete at the highest level for another decade.
And that is where the divide lies.
We have spent years building one of the most successful teams in modern football. Rebuilding the core of that team was never going to happen overnight, nor was it going to happen by simply throwing money at the biggest names available.
Be patient. Support the process. Let the club execute the plan.
And most importantly, don't overreact to every small rumour, every "wrong signing" or every transfer window that doesn't immediately satisfy the desire for another superstar.
The objective should not be to replace Bernardo, Rodri or Pep one-for-one.
The objective should be to build the next generation of Manchester City.
One love and peace!๐ฉต