BARCELONA, SPAIN - MARCH 07: Mikel Oyarzabal of Real Sociedad conducts the ball during the Liga match between FC Barcelona and Real Sociedad at Camp Nou on March 07, 2020 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
According to some insiders around Manchester City (h/t Eurosport), the Citizens remain keen on a deal for Real Sociedad winger Mikel Oyarzabal. The 24-year-old has been ‘closely linked’ with the English club for the past couple of seasons and due to his fine form during that period, he remains a target for the Etihad outfit.
Oyarzabal is a product of Real Sociedad, and the Spaniard made the step up to the first team back in 2016 at the age of 19 under then-manager Eusebio Sacristan. However, the winger has maintained his place in the squad under Imanol Alguacil as well and has really come to the fore for the Spanish outfit in recent seasons.
Will the Eibar-born player now be ready to make the move to the Premier League? And is this the right move by Pep Guardiola? If you are one of those punters, there are a lot of online casino sites in Europe to try your luck and guess Guardiola’s move. Is Oyarzabal the right choice for City or not? Here is our take on it:
Mikel Oyarzabal has been a consistent figure in Real Sociedad’s squad since he broke into the first-team as the winger has made over 200 appearances for the Spanish club in the last four and a half seasons. Last season, Oyarzabal made was a huge factor in the club finishing 5th in La Liga and securing Europa League qualification. The Spaniard made 43 appearances in all competitions during the same period and racked up 13 goals and a further 10 assists by playing on the left-wing in Sociedad’s 4-1-4-1 formation.
Thus, the talent is there, and City’s interest in the winger is certainly justified. Although the Etihad outfit do function with two wingers in their 4-3-3 formation, they already have a plethora of players in the squad who can play on the wings, namely Phil Foden, Raheem Sterling, Ferran Torres, Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez. Moreover, they also brought in Jack Grealish from Aston Villa this season for a Premier League record deal of £100million.
While there is a little uncertainty over the future of Bernardo Silva at the club, the Citizens still possess a lot of talent on the wings. If Oyarzabal is added into the mix, then one of the aforementioned wingers will have to settle for a place on the bench, or the 24-year-old might have to remain content with a squad role.
The financial factor:
Although City have spent a lot in the transfer market since Guardiola took over the reins at the Etihad, luring the Sociedad winger out of the Spanish club would take the Citizens to play the player’s release clause, which stands at around £67million.
Unless Pep is sure about the winger featuring week-in and week-out in his side, spending so much money would not make sense and would not be practical. Additionally, there are other areas where these finances could instead be focused towards.
The Premier League club were trying to sign a centre-forward this season but failed to get a deal over the line for their top prospect, Harry Kane. Sergio Aguero also left the club this summer, and this has left Guardiola short in the striker options. City have been interested in a deal for Erling Haaland next summer and given that a clause in the Norwegian’s contract would make him available next year for £64million, that would be the smarter option for the Etihad outfit.