It has been a long time since Manchester City were not involved in a summer transfer saga.
Txiki Begiristain and the club have a golden rule of not buckling to demands that are beyond what they think are reasonable for their top transfer targets. That is an admirable stance in an industry where money does so much talking, but it has also prevented the Blues from snapping up deals and completing the squad changes they want.
After a trophyless first season in English football, Pep Guardiola made it clear he thought the squad needed more firepower and support for Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus up front. But while Alexis Sanchez was quickly identified as the player they needed, no progress was made over the summer of 2017 and a deal fell apart on deadline day when Arsenal claimed they did not have enough time to find a replacement.
