Weekly Roundup #1 - Paqueta Arriving This Summer?

Joe Hart Retirement, Oscar Bobb Contract & Guardiola Managing at the World Cup

Author

Bailey Wynne
February 26th, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

Top stories today:

  1. Lucas Paqueta move coming this summer?

  2. Joe Hart announces his retirement this summer

  3. Oscar Bobb future position the subject of our thread this week

  4. Pep Guardiola managing an international team?

0. Standings, Fixtures and Statistics

1. Transfers News & Contract Talk

Lucas Paqueta has been spoken about a lot lately, linking him to Manchester City in the summer should the betting charges be cleared up. More here.

Kevin De Bruyne linked for a move to Saudi in the summer whilst also being mentioned as extending his contract with City. More here for Saudi links and here for contract talks.

Oscar Bobb is expected to sign a contract extension for Manchester City soon. More here.

Ederson signing a contract extension is expected this summer with talks to begin shortly. More here.

Thoughts

  • Paqueta would be an excellent move for City this summer, a release clause of £85mil reportedly, as they look to put right a mess of transfers moves in 2023. Would love to see it and you’d think quite likely given he hugged every coaching staff when City played West Ham!

  • I think if De Bruyne was going to leave City it would be to the MLS rather than Saudi. Salah will be the main target for them. Given how refreshed he looks, extension is the most likely option.

  • Bobb contract is great news, shows how much trust Pep has in him and how well he has fit in. Expect him to push for more minutes next season after finding his feet. Eyes on the summer if City buy another winger than Savio.

  • Ederson new contract along with Ortega would be the dream news for City fans in the summer, knowing that the keeper pair is set for another couple seasons!

2. Joe Hart Announces Retirement

Joe Hart announced this week he will retire from football in summer 2024, wanting to go out on a high at Celtic. Interview here.

Joe Hart holds the joint record for more Premier League Golden Glove awards (4) with Petr Cech. Winning it three times in a row from 2010 to 2013. Perhaps under the radar in the City fanbase due to his exit and the success of Pep Guardiola after his departure, Joe Hart can without doubt be considered a club legend.

Let us know your thoughts about Joe Hart in the comments below.

3. Threads This Week

Oscar Bobb is a player we can be very excited about as City fans, quality on the ball and making smart decisions from the first minute he debuted. Contract extension coming. Question is, what will Bobb become in the future?

Jeremy Doku played majority of his time at Stade Rennais on the right wing, so why would Pep want to play him on the left?

Let us know your thoughts on the threads and what topics we should delve into next.

4. Insightful Graphics

Great graphic included below that compares the way City are pressed vs the league average. A lot more low block approaches against City as sides are reluctant to push us, seeing a big drop these past couple years.

Ederson among other keepers in the league is always a conversation that keeps coming up, the volume he faces being far below that of Alisson but still his shot stopping is quality.

5. Interesting Quotes

The importance of Ederson cannot be understated, never becoming an issue for us as a keeper since his arrival. Multiple Golden Glove winner. Unicorn on the ball that has redefined the position.

“It’s not necessary to say how important Ederson has been. Stable, consistent, and now we have an incredible other keeper in Stefan Ortega. Every time he plays, he proves quality. But Ederson is massively important in our success… in everything!"

Pep Guardiola on Ederson

Something everyone knew, it had to be really bad for City to move him on so quickly last season.

"If there’s one thing Pep can’t stand it’s bad behaviour and being overweight. Cancelo’s behaviour was not right... The same happened at Valencia. He didn’t leave Man City because he played bad, he left because even God couldn’t stand him..."

Lu Martin on Joao Cancelo

Fascinating insight into the way the team functions and why they have been so successful. Healthy team environment is key.

"You cannot be serious at Man City. You joke around teammates. This is the best environment I've been in. When you have sad days or frustrated, you can't be for too long, they're joking all the time. With these kind of people is the best..."

Matheus Nunes on Manchester City Team

Mbappe moving to Real Madrid will have a big ripple effect in football and on Manchester City.

“In private, those close to him have laughed off links to Madrid, but it has long been known that he has always liked the idea of playing there.

Sam Lee

Now we are finally starting to see Phil Foden in his best position, midfield in the pockets.

"Since he was a young boy in the academy you’d hear stories about things Phil would do. His technical ability is absurd. He’s just so technically clean, everything seems so easy for him. He manipulates the ball however he wants. I think his best position is midfield in the pocket. Phil on the half-turn is something else. Him and [Kevin] De Bruyne in those pockets are ridiculous.”

Tosin Adarabioyo on Phil Foden

  • Jack Grealish has returned earlier than expected from injury, travelling to Bournemouth as an unused substitute. Gvardiol is expected to return this week.

  • Kevin De Bruyne played in the final minutes against Bournemouth following his injury worries this past week.

  • Pep Guardiola spoke about his desire an international team on the world stage in the future. More here.

  • Nobbins put together an insightful video on where Alvarez is best suited to play. Looking at his numbers and performances this season. Video here.

  • Jacob Wright scored a fantastic free kick in the Youth FA Cup. Same player who made his senior debut for City against Huddersfield Town in the FA Cup. Video here.

  • Manchester City will head to the US for pre-season tour in 2024. More here.

  • Freak Season? The Athletic delved into the increase in scoring this Premier League season. Something that might explain some of the results City have been involved in this season. Link here.

  • Bayern Munich struggles can teach us a lot, here is a thread explaining some of the issues faced by them this season. Ties into struggles City have had at points this season as well. Link here.

That’s all for this newsletter, rounding up our week with everything here at Sky Blue Times and the world of Manchester City. We are always looking for other ways to provide value to our subscribers so we appreciate any feedback provided in the comments below.

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