Wednesday 3 February 2016 15:55, UK
Pep Guardiola will take over from Manuel Pellegrini at Manchester City in the summer, but what do his previous dealings in the transfer market at Bayern Munich tell us about the Spaniard?
City are no strangers to splashing the cash, having spent nearly £350m since Pellegrini's arrival in the summer of 2013, but Guardiola's approach since taking over Bayern the same summer has been somewhat more calculated.
He signed only four players for a fee of over £20m, a figure City surpassed on nine occasions over the same time period, though Guardiola did have the luxury of inheriting a treble-winning side from Jupp Heynckes.
So, were the Spaniard's signings hits or misses? With the help of Sky in Germany reporter Mario Harter, we analyse Pep's market trades…
What was Guardiola's budget like at Bayern?
Harter: "It's the Bundesliga, and in the Budesliga they don't spend as much as in England. People in Germany say he wanted to sign Neymar when he left Santos for Barcelona in 2013.
"Pep was more calculated in the transfer market. He only bought if necessary. In Germany he could not decide on his own, he could say: 'I want to sign that player', but in the end it is not his decision, it is Bayern Munich's.
"Of course he had a lot of impact and a lot of control, but not total control. He could not just say to the board: 'I want Neymar'. It doesn't work like that at Bayern.
"He will like having a lot of money to spend, but he also likes the young academy players.
"Bayern are traditional, and do not want to spend more money than they earn. That's what they did with Guardiola and will do with Ancelotti. The manager has to adapt to the club."
What about the players he signed, who has been a success?
Harter: "Thiago Alcantara was his major signing in 2013. When Pep joined people asked him: 'Who do you want to sign?' and Pep said: 'I want Thiago, or nobody.' Thiago is his man. When he is fit, he is a starter, and one of his most important players.
"Other than Thiago, Bayern only signed Jan Kirchhoff on a free transfer, and Mario Gotze's transfer had already been agreed from Borussia Dortmund before the end of the previous season.
"In Germany they said many stars would come to the Bundesliga just because of the name, just because it is Guardiola. This season he signed Douglas Costa, and many people asked: 'Who?'
"Now he is one of the best players in the Bundesliga, he is fast, scores goals, is strong, makes assists, he is fantastic. It doesn't always have to be the big names all the times. After all, Guardiola is the biggest name in world football.
"The Kingsley Coman loan from Juventus has been fantastic. He is the perfect winger for Guardiola, and played fantastically well recently against Arsenal in the Champions League at the Allianz. Costa and Coman are very important because Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery are injured often.
"Xabi Alonso was another major signing from Real Madrid in 2014, and is still very important for Bayern. He's 34, but has the game under control, is always in between the centre backs, gets the ball and opens the game still."
And which players haven't lived up to expectations?
Harter: "Arturo Vidal has not been as good as people expected him to be. He is a great player, but will need more time. He was injured from time to time, but still has to improve.
"Medhi Benatia is injured all the time, which is why Bayern signed Serdar Tasci on loan from Spartak Moscow on Deadline Day this year.
"As far as Gotze goes, he hasn't made it so far. He arrived just before Pep, but I think they talked with him about Gotze before he agreed to move for Bayern."
Did he let any players leave too easily?
Harter: "He wanted to keep Toni Kroos, and reportedly told him he would be one of his key players the following season. He has gone on to be a success at Real Madrid, of course.
"Bastian Schweinsteiger didn't play too much towards the end and was injured at times, and being over 30, Guardiola did not mind letting him leave.
"Xherdan Shaqiri is a winger, and Guardiola loves wingers, but he was not good enough. Now Douglas Costa fits the mould."
