Pep Guardiola to take Man City transfer spending on defenders alone to £390m despite continually shipping goals
PEP GUARDIOLA is poised to take his spending on defenders alone to around £390 million.
Benfica’s Portugal international centre back Ruben Dias is expected in Manchester later to complete the formalities on a £64.5 million deal.
The Portuguese club announced on Sunday night the transfer was all agreed – so now just the personal terms and medical need to be sorted.
Some of the outlay will be offset by Nicolas Otamendi going the other way – with a fee of £13.7 million agreed between the clubs.
However the exchange will still see City part with more than £50million as they bid to form a defence capable of winning back the Premier League title.
And on the evidence of Sunday’s horror show against Leicester, Dias is going to have to be some player.
Although Vincent Kompany struggled with injuries in his last few years at the club, he has left a huge hole since his departure in May 2019.
More than £105 million has been lavished on two centre-backs this summer – in Dias and Nathan Ake.
Spending big on central defenders at City is not something exclusive to Guardiola.
His predecessor Manuel Pellegrini splashed out more than £30m apiece on Otamendi and Eliaquim Mangala.
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But it’s hard to believe the arrival of Dias, 23, will cure all their defensive worries in one go – despite his reputation as a leader.
On Sunday – like against Lyon in the Champions League and Arsenal in the FA Cup – it looked like the problems are deep-rooted.
To be fair, neither John Stones nor Aymeric Laporte were deemed fit enough to start against the Foxes – and both will be back soon.
So Guardiola had to start with wantaway Eric Garcia – who is expected to get the green light to join Barcelona once Dias is officially a City player.
The young Spaniard’s valuation is hardly likely to be boosted by his second half nightmare at the hands of Jamie Vardy and Co.
Even so, the back four which started against Brendan Rodgers men still cost the club almost £140 million in total.
SunSport verdict
SunSport runs the rule over Pep Guardiola's defensive signings prior to this summer at City.
John Stones (Everton) £47m – MISS – Maybe a bit harsh for a two-time Premier League winner, but the England international has never quite convinced at elite level and remains error-prone.
Kyle Walker (Tottenham) £45m – HIT – Remains liable to the odd mistake, but the right-back has been a regular, steady fixture in City’s most successful team.
Danilo (Real Madrid) £26.5m – MISS – Brought in as back-up to Walker, left little impression, then headed off to Juventus.
Aymeric Laporte (Athletic Bilbao) £57m – HIT – At the time City’s record-signing, Guardiola and Co miss him dearly when he’s not available.
Benjamin Mendy (AS Monaco) £49m – MISS – Injuries have played a huge part, but even when fit the Frenchman has failed to deliver on the huge promise he showed in Ligue 1.
Joao Cancelo (Juventus) £60m – MISS – Cancelo could potentially still turn things around, but has so far left very little impression for someone that cost so much.
Full-backs Kyle Walker and Benjamin Mendy each gave away a penalty in a nightmare final hour of the match.
Walker has enjoyed an impressive start to the season but was badly caught out by Vardy for the goal that got the visitors back into the game.
As for Mendy, City fans must be wondering if it is ever going to happen for the injury plagued £49.3 million man.
While Ake has been signed primarily as a centre-back, he is left-footed like Laporte, who will almost certainly be the first choice this season.
It is unlikely that Pep will play two left-footers together in the heart of his defence.
The Dutch international has played at left-back and it’s tempting to think he could be a better option than Mendy – even if he would not offer the same threat going forward.
What of the other full-backs signed by Guardiola?
Danilo showed glimpses of his quality in his two years at the Etihad but never really settled and left as part of the £60million deal to sign Joao Cancelo.
The Portuguese had a slow start and took a while to adapt – which led to talk that he might not survive more than a year under Pep.
However he finished last season strongly and the hope is the former Juventus man will provide genuine competition for Walker and Mendy once he is fit.
With a question mark over whether Oleks Zinchenko will stay this window, there are reports City might get the cheque book out again for a new left-back.
To think City baulked at the £75million asking price for Virgil van Dijk two-and-a-half years ago. With hindsight he might have been viewed as a bargain.
