Over the past 10 years, Manchester City have won four Premier League titles, an FA Cup, five League Cups and two Community Shields. That's 12 trophies won altogether in that time, and they have been constantly fighting for that illustrious Champions League trophy.
It has been an unforgettable era for City fans, and there is one man who has been an integral part of it all, Director of Football Txiki Begiristain. Begiristain joined Manchester City in 2012 and plays a major role in the club’s long-term strategy, being heavily involved in the club’s recruitment plans which have been nothing short of excellent.
He has been able to bring top-quality players to Manchester City, who have gone on to be wildly successful at the club. For example, Kevin De Bruyne, Rúben Dias and now Erling Haaland, who were all purchased for around £50million each, have all been scintillating for the club. In fact, all three are considered among the best in their respective positions.
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Another part of Begiristain’s job involves the selling of players, which has been a very profitable area for Manchester City in the past. Players such as Gabriel Jesus, Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling were all sold for over £40m each, with a profit made despite the players having their best years with City themselves. The 58-year-old's transfer influence has been massively helpful for City’s investments.
The ‘master of the transfer window’ is undoubtedly a big reason why City have enjoyed consistently successful transfer windows and he is the reason why; when City want a player, they get them. As well as this, Begiristain has worked so well with the club recently because of his past experiences with the boss, Pep Guardiola.
In fact, Begiristain reportedly played a huge part in bringing Guardiola to City itself, which many would say is the greatest capture of all. Guardiola and Begiristain would have been well accustomed to each other while working together at Barcelona from 2008 until 2010.
This period was completely dominated by the Spanish giants, who went on to win the Champions League, multiple La Liga titles and several Spanish Cups. The foundations left by the pair were strong enough for Barcelona to carry the momentum on, winning the Champions League again just a few years after.
Begiristain has become one of the best sporting directors in the game, and he has helped inspire Premier League clubs to adopt the same, or similar, ideology. Now every team in the top six uses a Director of Football, but one team benefiting from new such appointments are the noisy neighbours, United.
More recently, John Murtough, has become United’s sporting director and their recruitment strategy has become noticeably better. They have become organised and structured, compared to the years before, whereas City has been enjoying a successful structure and policy for years.
Begiristain’s influence on the Premier League and City is clear.
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