Manchester City's sporting director Ugu Viana has offered an in-depth look at the club's recent transfer campaign. He acknowledged that the summer was turbulent due to the World Cup and the change in manager, but insisted that the hierarchy met all the demands of new boss Enzo.
The club underwent a necessary and painful restructuring following the significant loss of pivotal midfielder Rodri. To bolster the squad and compensate for this gap in the midfield, City secured the signings of Elliot Anderson, Enzo Fernandez, and 18-year-old prodigy Ayub Buaddi.
In an interview with the club's press service, Viana reflected on the comprehensive recruitment strategy:
We kept our cool and are fully satisfied with the transfer window. This summer was unusual: a new head coach came in, fresh faces arrived, and the World Cup took place. All processes started a bit later than usual, but the key was to avoid panic, stick to the plan, and be patient. We explored excellent options for problematic positions. When your manager is happy, you should be happy too. We are genuinely pleased with the outcomes of the campaign and are confident that we signed the players who fit Enzo's style of football. We also executed our sales intelligently. The new signings and coaching staff need time for their ideas to settle on the pitch.
Viana also emphasised the long-term vision for the revamped squad:
It wouldn't be fair to say we are stronger now than we were at the start of the window; we already had plenty of quality. However, we now boast a very young team. We’ve signed players with Premier League experience and brought in talents like Buaddi. Keep in mind he’s only 18, but he will provide value both now and over the next three, four, or five years. We want to win wherever possible, but we are at least determined to seriously challenge for all trophies.
