The transfer window has closed and it was a quiet deadline day for Manchester City.
As other clubs rushed and harried to bring in last-minute deals on a chaotic transfer deadline day, Manchester City took things easy knowing their business was already done and dusted.
Just two new players arrived in the first-team squad as well as one addition for the U21s, while only two first-team squad members departed.
It might not have been quite as exciting as in recent years but there was still plenty to learn from City’s actions in the summer transfer window.
Pep Guardiola thinks his squad is still hungry for more success
Pep Guardiola is now in his ninth season at City, that’s more seasons than he spent at Barcelona and Bayern Munich combined.
Though City couldn’t be more finely tuned to ensure Guardiola can deliver his remarkable results, the manager has still faced new challenges that staying at one club for so long brings.
The biggest being how to keep a highly successful squad of players hungry for more trophies and how to revolutionise a team while keeping standards high.
Unsurprisingly, Guardiola has passed both tests with flying colours. The summer transfer windows of 2022 and 2023 saw massive changes within his team, namely the arrival of Erling Haaland which heralded a completely new style of play.
But it also saw players integral to the club’s success – Raheem Sterling, Fernandinho, Ilkay Gundogan, Gabriel Jesus, Aleks Zinchenko and others – move on.
Such upheaval can rock clubs but City have just carried on as if nothing had even changed, becoming Premier League champions for an unprecedented fourth time in a row.
City were due a quiet window after two tumultuous years and the lack of changes shows how settled the team now is, Guardiola’s second great side at the club.
The manager clearly thinks his players still have the desire and determination to win even more, otherwise, there would have been a lot more change.
Man City have taken a big risk with Erling Haaland
If there’s one area City may have left themselves short, though, it’s upfront.
Julian Alvarez’s move to Atletico Madrid was the only major exit from the first team and, while City have replaced his qualities in attacking midfield, they have not replaced him with another backup striker option.
No frontman City could sign would oust Haaland from the starting XI but it proved useful having a striker at hand who could fill in when he gets injured or fatigued.
Having decided against following through on their interest in Kyogo Furuhashi, City will go through the gruelling campaign with just one natural striker.
Even Guardiola himself has admitted it could be a ‘mistake’.
Guardiola does have options he can put up front. Phil Foden, Gundogan, Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish have all played false 9 before and Savinho has even played up front on occasion in his career, too.
But none of those would be ideal if Haaland was ruled out for a significant chunk of time, so City have taken a big risk in not signing another striker. They will have to keep everything crossed that Haaland stays fit throughout.
The Man City academy is producing even more incredible talent
City may have only made two new first-team signings in the window but there have been more than two additions to the squad.
James McAtee will be a first-team regular from now on after returning from his loan at Sheffield United and Nico O’Reilly will join him after an impressive pre-season.
Guardiola has been delighted with the two young midfielders and has added them to a squad that already contains fellow academy graduates Phil Foden, Rico Lewis and Oscar Bobb.
The fact City are now producing so much sublime talent consistently means they don’t have as much need to dip into the market to refresh the squad.
In fact, City actually turned down approaches from eight different clubs in order to keep McAtee.
The future remains bright and blue.
City raise massive funds once again while fending off interest in top stars
This is nothing new but it remains startling just how efficient City are at making money in the transfer market.
City have raised a potential sum of £167m this summer, having only spent £23m, and although the bulk of that came from Alvarez, a lot was still raised from homegrown players who have hardly played for the club and will go down on the book as pure profit.
When you see how much other clubs struggle to raise funds, City make it look like a cakewalk in comparison.
Additionally, they remain great at keeping hold of their most important players, too. At one point, Ederson seemed destined to head to Saudi Arabia but he has remained.
City will happily allow a wantaway player to leave if the money is right but they won’t play games and only accept offers they are happy with.
Ilkay Gundogan might be Pep Guardiola’s last signing
Though it was a largely uneventful window, City fans were still given a reason to get delirious. When the opportunity arose, City jumped at the chance to bring Gundogan back home to the Etihad.
The Blues did miss their treble-winning captain at points last season and now it turns out he is his own replacement after returning on a free just a year after joining Barcelona.
City were in dire need of a player to lighten the load on Rodri’s shoulders this summer and in the versatile Gundogan, they have got a player who not only can play his role but one who already has.
The German was Guardiola’s very first signing for City in 2016 and in a piece of poetic serendipity, he could be the last if it transpires to be the manager’s last season in charge.