Manchester City: Pep Guardiola succession plan and team rebuild
Semenyo and Guehi entered the negotiations with their eyes open.
Both had the chance to be selected for one of the Premier League’s elite teams in January.
Semenyo was a target for Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham. It was known that Liverpool was also interested in the 26-year-old player, who has a release clause of £65 million from Bournemouth. He prioritized a transfer to City.
There was even greater admiration for Guehi. The English defender, whose contract at Crystal Palace expires at the end of this season, had suitors across Europe.
While Bayern, Inter and Atletico Madrid showed serious interest in transferring him for free at the end of the season, Real Madrid and Barcelona also took part in the race. Liverpool’s interest has been well documented. Arsenal and Tottenham have also tried to persuade him to agree to a move to London this summer.
He chose Guehi City.
It is inconceivable that either player would decide to sign a long-term contract without knowing that much of that time would be spent under a non-Guardiola manager.
Of course, the opportunity to work for him – even if it’s for six months – is one most actors can’t afford. But that alone is not enough to force Semenyo and Guehi to sign five-and-a-half-year deals.
City can no longer place too much emphasis on the idea of their player-oriented grounds improving under Guardiola.
According to sources, rival club managers used the emerging narrative about the managerial situation to persuade players to ignore the Blues’ advances; as if he were suggesting that their success would diminish after Guardiola left.
Yet despite the uncertainty over Guardiola – certainly for Semenyo and Guehi – City’s home ground remains among the most competitive.
There’s no escaping the fact that they are some of the best-paid players in Europe, and it would be disingenuous to suggest finances aren’t a big factor in the two new signings.
However, it appears that Tottenham is the most lucrative offer Semenyo received in January.
Indeed, sources close to both signings say they guarantee City are guaranteed to compete for the biggest trophies, with their consistent Champions League qualification showing proving crucial in the decision-making process.
Their state-of-the-art infrastructure and passion off the pitch are key features of their pitch for new players, but ultimately their focus is on success on the pitch.
They are making an impressive impact with the possible signings of the already assembled world-class squad and their determination to continue recruiting elite players.
Strategies to extend the contracts of top talent in search of continuity and stability also feature prominently in their presentations. The 10-year contract signed by striker Erling Haaland last year is an example of this.
But City’s work under their ownership in Abu Dhabi, even before Guardiola’s arrival, is a truly unique selling point for potential transfers.
The trophies speak for themselves.
This doesn’t mean there aren’t some uncertainties. The fallout from City’s protracted legal battle over 115 widely documented charges relating to alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules is weighing heavily on the Etihad. The club categorically denies any wrongdoing.
The outcome of the case will have repercussions and any punishment could change the course of English football and City’s history.
While no one knows where the case will lead, City’s rebuilding efforts over the past year suggest they are not actively preparing for the worst.
Whatever lies ahead in this regard, they will continue to set the football operation up for success well beyond Guardiola’s departure.
For those at City, the arrival of Semenyo and Guehi provided concrete evidence that their recruitment operation was not dependent on Guardiola’s employment.
