Manchester City have repeated their strategy this summer of giving their players more time off than many rivals and having a later start to pre-season. That has seen a relatively shorter tour and the Blues will kick off at West Ham after just three friendlies if you include the hard-fought Community Shield.
There were many positives to be had from the jaunt to the United States, but playing just two matches did little for the promising young players who were part of the group. Liam Delap, James McAtee and Kayky have all been available for loan in the transfer window but were invited to begin pre-season and travel with the Blues to try to catch Pep Guardiola's eye — only to barely get a look-in.
McAtee is set to join Sheffield United yet is only linking up with them after the Blades have already begun their Championship campaign; Tommy Doyle, a fellow City midfielder, made his way to Bramall Lane on July 4. Delap, meanwhile, is yet to find a club.
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City clearly rate Delap, having turned down a bid from Southampton this summer that could have amounted to £16m, reiterating that he is not for sale. Having looked for a few years like he didn't fit the template of a Guardiola player, suddenly there is a huge, hulking No.9 in the squad that will be at the centre of City's game.
There is undoubted merit in Delap having watched Erling Haaland close up, but the reality is that a player who smashed the Under-23s goal record two seasons ago, before seeing his last campaign hit by injury, is in real need of a new challenge to test how easily he can take the next step in senior football.
It is coming up to two years since his debut for City and the former Derby youngster has outgrown the Under-23s football that he would have to play again if he were to stay at the Etihad.
The Championship looks the best test as the club explore options, but again City will have to find a club that are still looking for something rather than having their pick of options that they would have done had they sorted something sooner. Stoke and Vincent Kompany's Burnley have plenty of links with the Etihad, although there may be better picks to be found.
Understandably, a left-back for the first team squad will be City's priority in the transfer window but they could also do with sorting a good loan for Delap if they want to continue to see him progress. A temporary switch for Kayky would also be good, although that is less pressing as he still needs to have the best conditions possible to adapt to English football.
Having done so much good business already, City are just a few deals away from an excellent summer.
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