Manchester City have made a dream start to their 2024/25 campaign, having won their opening three competitive fixtures. They have so far played in the Community Shield and Premier League, and find themselves three wins from three in a season where they will be hoping to reclaim their treble from 2023/24, of which they now only have the English top flight to their name.
Their first outing of the new campaign saw the Cityzens get a 1-1 draw and then a penalty victory over Manchester United at Wembley. It was a game in which Bernardo Silva bailed them out with a late equaliser after Alejandro Garnacho gave the Red Devils the lead before City went on to win on penalties.
In the first Premier League game of the season for the team in sky blue, it was a routine 2-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Goals from Erling Haaland and Mateo Kovacic against his former club ensured the Cityzens left west London with all three points, before the towering Norwegian bagged a treble in the 4-1 thumping of Ipswich Town.
Perhaps surprisingly, it has not been a very busy summer transfer window yet at the Etihad Stadium, although they have had one major outgoing in particular, and they might not be done yet when it comes to making new signings, either.
Man City’s major outgoing so far
The major outgoing for Pep Guardiola’s side this summer has been the sale of Julian Alvarez. The 24-year-old, who was seen as a long-term replacement for Sergio Aguero when he signed for the club, left to join Spanish giants Atletico Madrid.
According to reports, the deal City got for selling the World Cup winner with Argentina saw remarkable profit. They sold him for an initial fee of £64m, with add-ons which could total up to a potential £17.1m more, making the deal worth a total of £81.5m.
Although he was only at the club for two seasons, the former River striker won some of the biggest trophies in world football, including the Premier League twice and the Champions League, and was a key part of the treble-winning squad in 2023/24.
In total, he played 103 games for the Cityzens, scoring 36 times and registering 18 assists, and showed real versatility, often being the player Guardiola would turn to if he needed someone to slot into an unfamiliar attacking position.
Position
Games
Goals
Assists
Centre-forward
49
19
6
Second striker
22
8
6
Attacking midfielder
16
6
5
Right-winger
4
3
1
Left-winger
1
0
0
Left midfielder
1
0
0
He struggled to lock down a place at centre-forward, due to Erling Haaland making that position his own over the two years he has been at the club, hence his decision to leave the club for pastures anew in the 2024/25 campaign.
Man City's replacement for Alvarez
According to a report from the Athletic earlier this week, the Cityzens might have already found their replacement for Alvarez. The Premier League champions are thought to be ‘weighing up a move’ for Celtic and Japan international striker Kyogo Furuhashi, who is valued at £20m by the Scottish giants.
He has a superb record for Celtic, after being brought to the club by then-manager Ange Postecoglou. In 135 games for the Bhoys, the Japan international has scored 73 goals and registered 16 assists in just 135 games.
There are certainly similarities between Furuhashi and City legend Aguero. Like the Argentine, he is a small striker, standing at 5 foot 5 with Aguero slightly taller at 5 foot 6. However, he also possesses elite movement, especially in the penalty box, which former manager Postecoglou called “the best I’ve ever seen”.
The former City striker was described as “an excellent penalty box striker” by one Spanish news outlet when he joined Barcelona in 2021, further showing the similarities between the two strikers, and reinforcing the fact he could be the Argentine’s heir.
Aguero himself was spellbinding for the Cityzens, and his record speaks volumes. Aside from all of the goals he scored, the former City number ten helped the club to five Premier League titles and won the Golden Boot once.
Spurs boss Posteocglou was clearly a big fan of the Japanese striker whilst he managed him at Celtic Park. The Australian described him as “outstanding”, and his record and general centre-forward play in the penalty box certainly shows why he was described in such a way by the former Celtic manager.
It may well seem like a surprise move from the Cityzens, but Guardiola loved Aguero before his departure from the Etihad Stadium, claiming that the club “cannot replace him”.
However, he may have found a striker to do just that, adding a very similar profile to his squad once more. For just £20m, this seems like it could be yet another masterstroke from Guardiola and City.
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1 ByJoe NuttallAug 22, 2024