Why Citys First XI are never poached

11101

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If i was earning my 100k a week market value plus another 100 or so under the table, i wouldn't leave either.

I bet other clubs give City management a wide berth too.
 

NotoriousISSY

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Pre-Guardiola it would've been a point to consider, but they were paying players very well to attract them.

Aguero on £200k upon signing. David Silva signed a contract in 2012 on £200k a week.

Whilst these types of wages are the norm now, they certainly weren't 12 years ago.

In the Guardiola era, I'm sorry but he's the best football manager in the world and on the football side of things, they are an absolute machine. If City want you, and want you to stay you absolutely do - that's before considering the money.
 

Noot

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A lot of fans have an incredibly warped perception of how much players care about playing for a 'big' club. Sure, for some players the allure of playing for Barca or Real is huge but the majority genuinely don't care.

If De Bruyne feels that he's better off here than at Barca/Bayern/Madrid/Juventus - and why wouldn't he, when they've all had some incredibly messy periods in the last five years - then he's not going to uproot his career just to play for a club with more history.
 

RedRocket9908

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In the Guardiola era, I'm sorry but he's the best football manager in the world and on the football side of things, they are an absolute machine. If City want you, and want you to stay you absolutely do - that's before considering the money.
Guardiola is not the best manager in the world he is far from it thats why he has repeatedly failed in the Champions League for 12 years, he has done absolutley nothing in his career to justify the tag of best manager in the world.
 

Noot

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This has always puzzled me.
Ronaldo was with Manchester United at the peak of our powers, one of the strongest teams in europe, winning league titles and champions league, full stadium chanting his name.
Big club, iconic club, rich club. Did not matter, Ronaldo was half way out of his house the moment Real looked his way.
Then you have Bale, Hazard, Suarez, you have Alonso, Mascherano and more before that.
The Spanish giants picking up the best players every year from the PL. Especially top players from Spain, Portugal and South America.

Silva and Aguero are 2 of the best players of the last 20 years. Yet, somehow, barely a whisper about any move to Spain. Magic.
Ronaldo is one thing, but it's not hard to work out why any of these five would rather play for Barca/Real than the clubs they played for at the time.

Maybe Ronaldo just fancied living in Spain.
 

IRONTUSK

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Probably a similar answer as to why did Haaland go to City when he could have gone anywhere else?
Who else was going to pay him 900k a week?
 

NotoriousISSY

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Guardiola is not the best manager in the world he is far from it thats why he has repeatedly failed in the Champions League for 12 years, he has done absolutley nothing in his career to justify the tag of best manager in the world.
Far from it :lol:

Absolutely crazy take, but you're entitled to your opinion.
 

Gordon S

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Ronaldo is one thing, but it's not hard to work out why any of these five would rather play for Barca/Real than the clubs they played for at the time.

Maybe Ronaldo just fancied living in Spain.
Whats the reason for them leaving?
 

Paolo Di Canio

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So basicallys Citys accend is based off all the other top clubs in europe going broke and turning crap all of a sudden, kind of taints the legacy a bit

They took barcelonas manager, directors and style of play and just created a wish.com barcelona pretty much?
 

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I’m sure the players stay for the prestige and rich footballing heritage of Mancheater Cheaty and nothing to do with the suitcases full of money under the table and their friends, agents and family members paid off handsomely.
 

zertz

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Because winning titles and earning as much money as possible are the 2 most important things for most players.
 

Dansk

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They pay players and their agents extra under the table, probably so much that it's effectively impossible for any other club to lure them away. They're currently being investigated for 100+ breaches of the financial regulations. That's what that is. They pay more than they report to the league. In all likelihood, the players and agents are also made to sign non-disclosure agreements in order to prevent them from talking about this after they leave the club. That's a common practice in the business world. Don't know how common it is in sports, but it's very much a possibility.

So if a player is "worth" £200k per week but City offer him £350k, with the £150k being paid in secret, that player would have to really hate being at the club in order to accept any other club's offer. When City are also winning the league more often than not, it's even easier to keep the players they want to keep. Even if the player isn't getting as many minutes as he would elsewhere, surprisingly few would take a huge wage hit just to play more football. Clubs that actually have to manage their finances and mind how they spend their money won't pay a player twice as much as his performances warrant, so they don't even bother to make an offer. City have operated with effectively unlimited funds for long enough now that all the other clubs know it's pointless to try.

They don't necessarily pay all their players much more than they're worth, but probably the ones they know other clubs would try to sign if it were possible. They won't care if some random squad player leaves, but their key players probably earn so much that they can't justify leaving even if they'd prefer to play for another club. While winning the league often is nice and all, City haven't had much success in Europe. If City weren't paying them absurdly inflated wages, there's no way none of their star players have ever wanted to go to a club where winning the CL is more than an optimistic dream.

You can't tell me players like KDB, who could stroll into literally any team in the world and be an untouchable starter in 100% of games, have all universally preferred to play for City from a sporting perspective. As in literally none of City's key players, ever, not one, has had a desire to play for Real Madrid instead or whatever. Plenty of them probably would if they could get similar wages elsewhere, but they know they can't, which is why absolutely all of City's key players have stayed for as long as the club wanted it. No other club has ever had that kind of "loyalty," because it's wholly artificial.
 
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Telsim

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How exactly do you poach from the richest and presently best club in the world?
 

Gordon S

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I think Barca and Real were just a bit more appealing than Spurs and Liverpool at the time, don't you?
oh absolutely. But these clubs were never appealing to Silva and Aguero, playing for the mighty Manchester City…?
 

MrFishers

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Those players get an insane package..much higher than is reported. Agents get greased too to keep players settled.
 

DeGea

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Two things keep men happy - $$$ and ladies. I won't be surprised if there is some of the latter going on too with agents etc to keep them in line. It is a dark world out there, more than we can imagine..
 

Noot

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oh absolutely. But these clubs were never appealing to Silva and Aguero, playing for the mighty Manchester City…?
Why would they be? City were challenging for the league most seasons at the time.
 

RickRudesDong

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Why would they be? City were challenging for the league most seasons at the time.
... for a team with no fans, a deep history of corruption and zero public recognition at the end of each trophy. Sexy.
 

RedStarUnited

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Players dont leave top performing teams unless they fall out with the manager. When we were a CL winning team, we only lost Ronaldo because he was hell bent on going Madrid. Anybody else we sold before that was because we wanted to.
 

MUFC OK

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Answer: the incentives they are receiving are something no player would walk away from. I reckon their actual salaries are about 4x the official ones and they probably have barrels of oil in their name in Abu Dhabi.
 

MUFC OK

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Players dont leave top performing teams unless they fall out with the manager. When we were a CL winning team, we only lost Ronaldo because he was hell bent on going Madrid. Anybody else we sold before that was because we wanted to.
Why is it infeasible that any of city’s top players in their recent history would want to swap them for Real Madrid. Because their actual salaries etc are astronomically larger than the official figures. Just another way to make a mockery of FFP. Charge 116 which is yet to become public knowledge.
 

CoopersDream

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Why is it infeasible that any of city’s top players in their recent history would want to swap them for Real Madrid. Because their actual salaries etc are astronomically larger than the official figures. Just another way to make a mockery of FFP. Charge 116 which is yet to become public knowledge.
If a player wants to leave, and dream about playing for Real Madrid and they want them, their salary shouldn't be a problem. I hardly think anyone would go "well, my dream is to play for Real Madrid, but they'd only pay me 350k a week, whereas my actual salary at Man City is 500k, so I will stay".

Also, why do everyone assume that Madrid would want all City's "top players". Why would they have wanted Aguero when they had a bettter striker already (and this goes for Barca, Bayern and PSG during that past decade as well)? KdB would have been insanely expensive for any team to buy, so I don't really think that would be feasible anyway. Silva, sure, he'd probably have fit Barcelona to a tee, but for a long time they were pretty set in midfield anyway. What other top players have City even had that everyone should have wanted? Kompany? He was injured half the time. Yaya maybe? Don't really think he was needed by any of the Spanish teams nor Bayern. Fernandinho? He was already fairly old when he got to City. Not sure there are that many more.
 
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MUFC OK

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If a player wants to leave, and dream about playing for Real Madrid and they want them, their salary shouldn't be a problem. I hardly think anyone would go "well, my dream is to play for Real Madrid, but they'd only pay me 350k a week, whereas my actual salary at Man City is 500k, so I will stay".

Also, why do everyone assume that Madrid would want all City's "top players". Why would they have wanted Aguero when they had a bettter striker already? KdB would have been insanely expensive for any team to buy, so I don't really think that would be feasible anyway. Silva, sure, but I'm not sure he would have suited the way Real usually plays.
No offence but I think that’s naive. City can literally offer them whatever it takes to stay - it’s all off the books and they have unlimited wealth.

Any player could force a move if they wanted to go to Madrid. The incentives of remaining at city has ensured they have never lost a star player against their will.
 

CoopersDream

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No offence but I think that’s naive. City can literally offer them whatever it takes to stay - it’s all off the books and they have unlimited wealth.

Any player could force a move if they wanted to go to Madrid. The incentives of remaining at city has ensured they have never lost a star player against their will.
But if their dream is to play for Real (as it was for, say, Ronaldo), then they wouldn't say no to an insane salary at Real just because they make more at City.

If a City player wants to leave, they will leave. Just as Jesus and Sterling have done just this season. Sané a few seasons back.
 

MUFC OK

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But if their dream is to play for Real (as it was for, say, Ronaldo), then they wouldn't say no to an insane salary at Real just because they make more at City.

If a City player wants to leave, they will leave. Just as Jesus and Sterling have done just this season. Sané a few seasons back.
We’re talking about absolute stars/selling a player against their will. Think Pep went on record saying they didn’t sell a player that they didn’t want to just a few days ago.
 

ayushreddevil9

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Top facilities, club management, manager, trophies, money. Overall a guarantee of an illustrious career.

If we get a decent player we always get rumors of them wanting away. Pogba was our only world class player at some point. Chelsea wanted Rooney? It sucks but its not surprising players wanting out given how bad we are run.
 

Cassidy

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Barca have been trying to sign Bernado Silva for a year
 

wr8_utd

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I know its not exactly a popular opinion but its good (even though it sucks for United and City's other Premier League rivals) to see there are players even Madrid can't poach. I've been sick of them coming after whoever they want and getting them.
 

CoopersDream

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We’re talking about absolute stars/selling a player against their will. Think Pep went on record saying they didn’t sell a player that they didn’t want to just a few days ago.
But that doesn't really happen very often for any big club. United have literally sold one player fitting that description for as long as I could remember. And that was because he wanted nothing but to play for another team. If that happens a City player you can be sure he won't be playing for City the following season.
 

padr81

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People say this all the time but where would they have went and who would be after them.

Sergio Aguero - Barca had Suarez, Real had Benzema, Bayern had Lewandowski.
Barca (Zubizaretta admitted to Barca looking into Aguero but going for Suarez instead because the financials made more sense with the £40m release clause. Bayern got Lewandowski on a free). So who was gonna come and poach Kun?
There was no team better positioned than City in England and none of the really big European clubs who had the money had the need.

David Silva - Again who had the need and the funds. Barca had Iniesta, Xavi, Messi and Neymar in the positions Silva was likely to play, by the time Neymar left, Silva was firmly routed in the middle and too old for the wings. A move there made no sense. Real Madrid had CR7 and Bale for the wings and then moved for Hazard, a player 90% of people at that time would have said is a better player. In the middle Real had Kroos and Modric. Bayern? They had Robbery on the wings and then graduated to brining in young players for value (like Bayern do!). Again there was no real alternative or out option for Silva till he was too old. In was either a case of no need or no money.

Yaya Toure - He only ended up at City because he was deemed not good enough at Barca (by Pep). Truth is City were the only ones willing to chance him. Being at Barca pretty much ruled out Madrid cause he's not a special enough player like Figo or R9 to cross that gap. Bayern were dominating and had a super midfield. Reality is again, no one was interested outside of a few Italian clubs who'd offer a packet of crisps as long as they got him on loan for 8 years free first.

KDB - We only got KDB cause Bayern dragged their heels and he's a weird dude so would likely never go there now. As with Silva above - Real had a legendary midfield, Barca's was coming to an end but still super strong. Who goes for him?

Mostly this thread is wrong (as usual) on players not being taken away from us too.

Off the top of my head Tevez, Sane, Torres, Garcia, Nolito, Negredo, Boateng, Milner all left while City wanted them to stay on but City have a clear policy if someone wants out and valuation is met, they can leave, its that simple.

Last summer Bernardo was close to leaving for Barca but they kept fecking around with cash and couldn't pull off whatever weird behind the scenes financial gymnastics they needed.
Gundogan is odds on to walk for free this summer with a deal to Barca apparently already done despite Pep saying he'd like him to stay.
Laporte has been used sparingly all season cause he's wanted out, but no one has come willing to pay or he'd already be living in Spain.

While its harder to take Cities players now they're constantly at the business end of the CL, for our previous stars, the options to take them away were never there. The big European trio just had better players in all those positions and English clubs were out of the question.
 

Swordsman

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City is gonna lose Bernado Silva and İlkay Gündoğan this summer.

Not sure Cancelo is going to which club, Bayern didn't want to sign him perm.

Its interesting this summer transfer is City gonna sign any marquee players..
 

Son

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So basicallys Citys accend is based off all the other top clubs in europe going broke and turning crap all of a sudden, kind of taints the legacy a bit

They took barcelonas manager, directors and style of play and just created a wish.com barcelona pretty much?
I used to think Barcelona were the best football side ever made but this City team currently while it lacks Messi has power and keeps the ball arguably better on average.

I think we might be seeing the best team ever put on a field this season. They win on average easier than Barcelona did from what I remember. City defend better no doubt.

Guardiola has tweaked his formula a bit to not have to rely on Messi as much and it’s worked. This is more the solid system and squad depth than the all star 11 but it’s probably more effective over a full season.

He brings in world class players like Foden and Mahrez now. At Barcelona he had Pedro and Bojan on the bench.