Negredo arrival strengthens City’s claims for successful season
Published:Having lost both Mario Balotelli and Carlos Tevez this year it was always going to take someone special for Manchester City to replace them.
In Alvaro Negredo, it appears as though the Citizens have done just that.
The Spanish international forward looks set to leave La Liga for the Premier League having scored 85 goals in 180 appearances over four seasons for Sevilla.
The 14-times capped 27-year-old was part of Spain’s Euro 2012 winning squad, and although he’ll enter the Etihad Stadium having to compete for a first team place he’s more than used to that already.
From challenging the likes of Fernando Torres, David Villa, Fernando Llorente and Roberto Soldado for a spot in Vicente Del Bosque’s plans, Negredo will now arrive in England to fight for a starting place with Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko.
New City boss Manuel Pellegrini has been busy this summer with the further additions of winger Jesus Navas, a former teammate of Negredo at Sevilla, and the Brazilian international midfielder Fernandinho from Shakhtar Donetsk.
With the squad sufficiently bolstered, the Citizens look set for a renewed assault on success over several fronts in the coming season.
Whilst lifting the Champions League, for which they are priced at 12/1, might still elude a club who failed to qualify from the group stages on both previous occasions they’ve played in the competition, domestic success may be easier to come by.
City are 11/5 to win a second Premier League title in three seasons, but it could be the cup competitions which prove to be their most accessible route to glory given the power of neighbours Manchester United and Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea.
Instead of league glory, Negredo’s new side are 33/1 to lift both the FA and League Cups in the coming season, a decent prospect given the striking depth that their new arrival has provided them with.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publication
