It’s no surprise to see Manchester City once again splashing out on players in the transfer window. Citizens have already signed Nathan Ake and Ferran Torres from Bournemouth and Valencia respectively. Only time will tell how they fit into life in Manchester, but here’s what Torres and Ake bring to the squad.
Nathan Ake
Nathan Ake is a Chelsea academy graduate. He has been trained all his life to play in the Premier League. The 25-years-old has the right amount of experience and still in his prime. The Dutchman played only 7 games in the league for Chelsea before moving to Bournemouth, initially on loan before signing a permanent for £20 million, a then club record. Ake is strong, comfortable on the ball, a great passer, and extremely versatile. He started as a defensive midfielder before transitioning to the role of a center-back. The player is also capable of playing as a left-back. In his first interview as a City player, Ake said that he wouldn’t mind playing in any position that Pep Guardiola puts him in and will give his 100% to the team when on the pitch.
The Citizens have experienced major defensive issues this season despite spending more than £324 million just on defenders since Guardiola arrived in 2017. Poor performances and Injuries to their main center-backs prompted Pep Guardiola to play Fernandinho as a center-back with Rodri playing in defensive midfield. Next season, the main center-back pairing of Aymeric Laporte and Nathan Ake would give extreme defensive prowess to Man City. Fernandinho would return to his original position, which could very well be his last season in the Premier League. It looks like Citizens have sorted their defensive vows.
Ferran Torres
On the attacking side, the Sky Blues have signed 20-year-old right-winger Ferran Torres for 25 million euros from Valencia. He has played for Valencia all his life, coming up from the youth ranks and bursting into the first team. Torres, a traditional left-footed right-winger, can also play as a wide midfielder. His pace, dribbling, and high work rate will be a great asset to Manchester City.
The Spaniard can be called Leroy Sane’s replacement. It is likely that Ferran’s role will be of a squad rotation player rather than a starter. His presence adds a great depth to the squad, but it will be difficult to see him start every week. He will face great competition from Bernardo Silva, Riyadh Mahrez and Raheem Sterling, all of them are capable of playing as right-wingers.
With Torres and Ake now part of the squad, Manchester City will be a more solid and complete team, with world-class players in every position. They have massive squad depth, with match-winners sitting on the bench. Liverpool and City are the obvious favorites to win the league next season. It is surely going to be a great battle for glory when the Premier League restarts.
