Manchester City enjoyed a pretty good transfer window.
While key players departed such as Ilkay Gundogan, Riyad Mahrez and Aymeric Laporte, some very talented stars have joined the club.
Mateo Kovacic already looks a star. And Josko Gvardiol looks like he will be a top player going forwards.
Jeremy Doku enjoyed a decent debut, and there is a belief Matheus Nunes could really thrive at City under Pep Guardiola, having not been the most consistent at Wolves.
One player that was heavily linked with City towards the end of the window though who did not end up signing was Eberechi Eze.
The Crystal Palace midfielder was on City’s list and there was speculation over a £70 million move. But ultimately a bid was not forthcoming, despite claims to the contrary.
MORE MAN CITY STORIES
And now, one interesting reason has been offered as to why City didn’t swoop…
Pep Guardiola’s love of a small squad a reason Man City didn’t swoop for Eberechi Eze
The Athletic have produced a report this morning about the state of play at City.
The focus of the article is if the squad is actually stronger this time around.
Obviously it has been a great start in terms of results. But arguably City are not yet firing on all cyllinders.
There is some talk about City’s summer business, and mention of the interest in Eze.
Apparently, part of the reason City ultimately did not move for the England international was because of Pep’s liking for a small squad.
The Spaniard has never really had a bloated squad, preferring to work with players that are able to cover multiple positions.
City can always get away with that, because it’s rare these days that the squad carries several injuries at a time.
Having a smaller squad has always worked out for Pep
So it seems it was never a question of ability with Eze.
It is simply that Guardiola wants to keep his squad size fairly low – and that’s fair enough.
This is something that Pep has always favoured – and you cannot say it’s been a bad thing.
The versatility of the players he works with makes this doable.
And also, the club having an incredible medical department really helps.
Perhaps in a year or two, when City have to think about replacing Kevin De Bruyne, we could see City make a move for the ‘technically gifted’ Eze.