I’m well aware of our transfer system, as you have said, it’s well-publicised and very clear. However, that’s also what the club wants everyone to know. Is it a true representation of how our transfer system works? I’ve no idea.
Pep plays a different system altogether. City usually dominate possession as well in most of their games, although they are susceptible to the counter. This season their fullbacks, instead of overlapping on the flanks, have come into midfield alongside Rodri/Fernandinho who is City’s deepest midfielder. So there is this line of 2 fullbacks and 1 DM before the 2 CBs - this has contributed to them conceding less goals this season and also enabled them to win the ball back far quicker.
Perhaps I should be more specific, Maguire isn’t suitable for the high line that Ole plays.
I’m okay with giving VdB one more season. Of course it takes two hands to clap, Donny hasn’t taken his chances well enough. However, Ole doesn’t seem to know how best to use Donny or which midfield role to use him in. Granted, we had no pre-season.
That’s why I question the club’s decision to pursue a CB this window. I think a DM is fair more important in shielding our defence and also allowing the attacking players more freedom. I’m also tired of watching McFred. They are decent players but I don’t think they complement each other and therefore shouldn’t play together.
I doubt OGS would have been publicly clear that he has a veto on all transfers unless that is actually the case. If so, he would unwisely undermine his own position, and in effect make himself a hostage of processes over which he has no control. Possible, but in my opinion very unlikely.
On the other issues. I think you have valid points, but that's all become so interconnected now that you can't answer one question without raising another. You argue that the most pressing concern now should be central midfield, not central defence. I tend on the whole to agree with that, it seems intuitively right at least.
However, what exactly is the problem we need to solve in midfield? Is the intention that Pogba should play in the pivot? If so, then you can argue that the pressing need is for a holding midfielder with defensive qualities sufficient to cover the back and compensate for Pogbas shortcomings in that area, freeing him to contribute more on the attack. Or is the intention to play Pogba in the forward line? If so, then we are in effect looking for a better partner for Fred than McTominay is, which means a sitter with a different mix of qualities - in particular, someone who can contribute more in build-up play and creatively. Then there's the uncertainty over whether Pogba will stay at all, and over what DvdBs role is going to be.
All of which leads me back to the view that it's probably just as well to upgrade at CB in any case.