A long and arduous transfer saga finally ended last night but it was a young Spaniard who joined Real Madrid and not an over-priced Brazilian. However, with Brahim Diaz joining for an initial fee of a mere £15million, it represents yet another coup for a team outside the Premier League against Manchester City. First, it was Jadon Sancho to Borussia Dortmund and we all know how the 18-year-old is performing in the Bundesliga.
Now that Diaz has left, it seems Manchester City had no choice but to cash out on the unhappy 19-year-old. According to Evening Standard, the youngster wanted first-team assurances but couldn’t get it. This is not the first time that something like this has happened to a top club like Manchester City, Chelsea or even Arsenal among others. But will City regret it more than the others?
The 19-year-old made only 10 appearances last season. A majority of them came off the bench. This season saw that drop even further with Diaz making a mere 4 appearances, which included three starts in the Carabao Cup. He did do relatively well in the Carabao cup, scoring twice against Fulham but still never made the bench for Pep Guardiola’s Premier League team.
But with his contract with City set to expire at the end of the season, City had little choice but to let him go. The 19-year-old’s agility makes him a difficult person to catch but it’s his dribbling and ball control that are truly impeccable. Quite similar to La Liga legend Lionel Messi, the Spaniard has the ability to become world-class if given the required playing time and a chance to prove himself.
And with Real Madrid struggling this season after losing both Cristiano Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane, Los Blancos could be the perfect place to do it. One doesn’t simply walk into a Real Madrid team but Diaz’s ability to play across the front line will be more than welcomed by manager Santiago Solari, and with a variety of injury issues, he should be given a chance.
For Manchester City, despite all the clauses they’ve included in the deal, it is still a massive loss and if Brahim Diaz performs for Real Madrid, it could force the Citizens to buy back the star. However, this time, there is a great chance they’ll have to spend more than £15million.
