Manchester City continued to add to their first-team squad yesterday with the acquisition of Jesus Navas from Sevilla. The 27-year-old, who is currently in the US with the Spain squad ahead of this month’s Confederation Cup, is City’s second big-money signing in the past week after Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho arrived at the Etihad from Shakhtar Donetsk:
With Manuel Pellegrini expected to be announced as the new City manager by tomorrow, City’s pre-season plans are beginning to pick up pace following the dismissal of Roberto Mancini towards the end of the previous campaign. In an interview with the club’s official website, Navas – who is believed to have been cost City a fee in the region of £15m – went on to say:
“Manchester City is an exciting project and this is the right moment for me to take this step. I’m very happy with the opportunity and the decision. The Premier League is a competition where the football is very fast and will suit the way I play. I’m really looking forward to it. I’m going to a great club in England and I want to continue developing my game there. The club has put a lot of faith in me and I want to repay them out on the pitch.”
The History
A product of the Sevilla Youth Academy, Navas joined his hometown club at the age of 15 and made his first-team debut three years later at the end of the 2003-04 season. Firmly established as a regular by 2005-06, the winger has spent a total of 10 campaigns at the La Liga outfit, starting 30 or more times in all but one of the previous five seasons, when injury curtailed his game time over 2009-10.
Navas arrives at City on the back of a less-than-prolific campaign. The winger failed to find the net at all last season and supplied just six assists as Sevilla finished ninth in the table but there’s no doubt his creativity from the flank has been crucial to his side in recent years. In three of the last five seasons, he’s provided 13 or more assists and overall, has chipped in with 24 goals and 62 assists over 276 La Liga appearances.
In terms of silverware, Navas won six major trophies over his time with Sevilla – two UEFA Cups, a UEFA Super Cup, two Spanish Cups and a Spanish Super Cup. He’s also represented his country on 23 occasions, producing two goals and six assists, and has helped his nation to the 2010 World Cup, with the European Championship following a couple of years later.
The Prospects
Navas’ arrival certainly looks likely to afford City an extra dimension on the flanks. While the likes of David Silva, Samir Nasri and James Milner were utilised out wide by Roberto Mancini, none of the trio possess the speed and directness of the new boy – with Fernandinho also bringing a more dynamic edge to central midfield, the former champions seem set for an evolution under the incoming Pellegrini, with a much-needed injection of pace throughout the team.
Both Silva and Nasri may possess the trickery but both had a tendency to move into the middle when on the ball, with City all-too-often lacking any real width. Opponents were able to nullify the danger by packing the middle of the park in Mancini’s final season as his side became a little too predictable in possession – having scored 93 times in their title-winning 2011/12, City found the net just 66 times last term.
Navas’ introduction is clearly part of a tactical plan to utilise the width more efficiently, creating space and stretching opponents’ backlines, which, from a Fantasy perspective, will hopefully be good news after the disappointment of the previous campaign. In terms of Navas as an individual prospect, however, he’ll find it difficult to persuade us to initially invest, given that Silva, Yaya Toure and potentially Nasri will also be vying for our attentions in the City midfield.
Furthermore, his price isn’t likely to be cheap across the Fantasy games, with a cost of 8.5 to 9.5 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) anticipated. With Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott, Juan Mata and Eden Hazard all offering explosive potential in the premium bracket, it seems, in all likelihood, there will be better value to be found for our five man midfields as we look to balance budgets.
Ironically, the introduction of Navas and a more expansive style of play could, in turn, bring Sergio Aguero back onto our Fantasy radars. Having started 2012/13 costing 11.5 in FPL, the Argentine could conceivably drop to 10.5 or 11.0, potentially making him a viable option once again for those unwilling to fork out the expected 13.5 for Robin Van Persie. If he can overcome the serious bouts of homesickness that have blighted his international career, Navas has the potential to be a major player for City next term, though whether he can persuade Fantasy managers he’s worthy of a place looks another matter altogether.
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