Man City Spaff £34m On Fernandinho – A Whole Lot Of Wasted Spondoolicks?

By Chris Wright

Fernandinho signing 2

Seems like getting their bum bums paddled by their cross-city rivals in the Premier League last season has put a rocket up Manchester City, with the club already chucking £51 million at the problem to bring in former (we’re assured) chronic homesickness-sufferer Jesus Navas from Sevilla and the man they call Fernandinho from Shakhtar Donetsk.

The Brazilian attacking midfielder officially signed a four-year deal with City yesterday for a fee believed to be as much as €40million (that’s £34million)  – take that FFP! – and will take up the No. 25 shirt. Apparently he also waived a £4million bonus from Shakhtar to complete the move too. Obviously not short of a few bob, this lad.

The spectrum of reaction so far seems to range from “how much!?” right through to “who?” with most interested parties wondering just what City are doing spaffing such an inordinate amount of money on a 28-year-old who has amassed the grand total of five international caps over the course of the last two years.

As many have pointed out, you get the feeling City have paid at least a £10million premium for the -inho suffix.

No doubt Fernandinho’s a tricky dicky with a steady stream of goals to his name accrued on his way to winning 15 major honours (including the UEFA Cup) with Shakhtar since joining them from Atletico Paranaense eight years ago, but still you wonder where he’s going to fit into the City starting line-up (maybe finally scooching Gareth Barry aside?) given their already swollen midfield ranks.

You just feel that such a substantial wodge of cash could’ve been put to better use, i.e, to bring in a real big hitter. For example, £34 million would go a long way towards sticking on a partial down payment on one of Edinson Cavani’s legs.

What’s your verdict on the move Pies fans? Any of the City supporters out there happy with what you’re seeing?

(Images via MCFC)

Posted in Featured, Man City, Newsnow, Opinion, Transfers & Rumours

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24 Comments

  1. Chris says:

    He’s a great player, but $30 million is way too much for him. He’s a promise, not a star yet.

  2. Markell says:

    The man’s already showed his class in the Champions League, and after all that’s what City are building for. He won’t start most matches, but he’ll help provide depth that has been sorely lacking and needed in the thick of the season. And he has to be better than Javi Garcia…

  3. Jack says:

    Stick with your knitting young lady you know nothing about football obviously.

  4. AT says:

    I agree, I’m sick of City buying god not exceptional players, just go out and buy a Superstar for goodness sake.

  5. alphie_izzett says:

    Dear oh dear!
    Nobody ‘knows’ what City paid for Fernandinho. Remember the £46m supposedly paid for Tevez, it turned out to be £25.5m?
    As for suggesting that he is unknown? To you maybe Chris, possibly to a lot of other wannabe hacks, but he happens to be one of the most respected DMF’s in European football over the last two seasons. A defensive midfield pairing of Fernandinho and Yaya will cause a few shivers amongst opponents for sure and naturally one, maybe two oc the existing DMF’s will leave; taht’s what happens in football, I’m surprised you haven’t noticed!

  6. alphie_izzett says:

    Oh so God isn’t good enough for you then AT?
    Odd bearing in mind the rubbish you lot have to watch week in week out!

  7. Mike says:

    Why are City tranfer fees always reported with the wages over the contract added? It wasn’t reported that RVP cost United 40 plus million for a 29 year old was it? Why? Double standards.

  8. Stu says:

    No idea if he’s any good or not but he just makes me want to sing Fernando by Abba.

  9. Chris says:

    @alphie_izzett: People were saying the same thing about Javi Garcia when City blew £17m on him not so very long ago.

  10. syndex says:

    hmm does anyone want to say Jo

  11. Vinnie says:

    http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a633/shervin_psg14/ScreenShot2013-06-06at13129AM_zps7cffd65b.png

    @stu

    not sure if the link works, but this was on his wikipedia page when he was announced as a new signing

  12. SvenGoranAnyjob says:

    So, that’ll be the new “holistic” approach to squad building in action then?!…

    Who needs a manager when the chaps-in-suits can sign all the players and have Brian Kidd sort them out of a Saturday?!

  13. Boob says:

    He’s 28 and has played less games for Brazil than Man Utd’s Anderson.

    Something doesn’t add up.

  14. Bruno says:

    I’m an United fan, ok, but City is a crazy club.
    They clearly don’t know what they are doing. I believe Sir Alex Ferguson spent less money in 10 years than City did on players like Robinho, Fernandinho, Elano, Nasri and many other flops.

    That’s the problem with small-new-rich clubs like City, QPR, PSG. They want to run but they can’t even walk.

    Be patient, spend wisely and don’t get Nike sponsorship because their shirts always sucks. That’s my advice.

  15. Wynton says:

    Haha great bargain shitty!!! 34m for a 28-year-old who spent his prime years in a third rate league in Eastern Europe. Is sheikh Mansour picking out the players all by himself by now!?

  16. Jim says:

    £30m just to add strength in depth and be mainly a bench warmer according to one comment on here. Madness.

  17. js94 says:

    @Wynton Just because he plays in a league that isn’t popular in England doesn’t mean he’s not a quality player, and the prime of players career is supposed to be around the 28, 29 mark so he’s not spent in with Shaktar. Can I also take a guess than you’re a Man Utd fan? You’ve got that kind of obnoxious attitude some Man Utd fans have

  18. Jim says:

    @Js94 yawn

  19. Anonymous says:

    this article is so biased!

  20. Mr Sensible says:

    I think it’s a great purchase, City have the money and he’s a player they need. Not really fair to compare him to Garcia who I never rated and who never performed in the CL unlike Fernandinho. I think the main reason he has so few caps is because Brazil seem to look down on the Brazilians who play in Eastern Europe, definitely good enough for the first team.

  21. jeanne says:

    I think the price is the best they can get. Fernandinho REALLY wanted to come to city. He REALLY wanted to leave. He even payed a fraction of the total price to get him out of Ukraine. What I understand, is that Shaktar weren’t being very fair, So the price had to be high. City wanted him, Fernandinho really wanted to go to city: to me its only right to get the man in the squad.
    The price would have been lower had Shaktar decided not to be so protective of him.

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