Manchester City head coach Enzo Maresca is expected to add further players to his team with less than three weeks until the first competitive fixture
Pep Guardiola mastered a transfer strategy that could benefit Enzo Maresca this summer
Pep Guardiola mastered a transfer strategy that could benefit Enzo Maresca this summer(Image: Chris Lee - Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
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Few clubs in the world have proven to be better operators in the transfer window than Manchester City. For the past decade, the lure of Pep Guardiola helped City sign a host of impressive players. Erling Haaland, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Rayan Cherki, Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo are just some of his recent additions that have proven to be smart signings.
Knowing who to sign is one thing, but being clever with departures is just as important. Guardiola and City became the masters of this too. When a player decided he wanted to leave the club, Guardiola did not stand in their way. This did not make the Blues a soft touch, though.
Bernardo Silva signalled numerous times he wanted to leave, but when the offers that arrived were deemed unsuitable, he stayed put. City also regularly add in clauses to sales that allow them to win, one way or another.
The two most common are the matching fee clause, that allows them to match the asking price of another club when they look to sell the player. This was most recently used to sign James Trafford from Burnley. And the other, which could hand Enzo Maresca a transfer bonus this summer, is the sell on clause.
Sell on clauses have become common place in City sales and are only activated if the selling club receives a profit. When they do, City receive a chunk of that profit to add a few extra pounds to their coffers.
This weekend, one of their sell on clauses was thrust back into the spotlight. Oscar Bobb left City in January when it became clear his playing time was not going to be at the level he desired.
Fulham swooped in and signed the Norwegian international for £27m. Bobb did not register a goal or an assist in the second half of last season, but impressed at the World Cup with his overall work rate, despite not getting on the scoresheet.
Oscar Bobb celebrates with Erling Haaland as Norway knocked Brazil out of the World Cup
Oscar Bobb celebrates with Erling Haaland as Norway knocked Brazil out of the World Cup
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This has reportedly caught the interest of AS Roma who are looking to add a winger to their squad. After just six months at Craven Cottage, Bobb will not be allowed to leave easily so a bid that lands Fulham with a profit, will likely be required to seal the deal.
Should that happen, City will take a healthy 20 per cent of that. So, if Fulham and Roma agree a £30m transfer, the Blues will bank a respectable £600,000.
However, the main transfer City will be hoping for this summer is Julian Alvarez. He made it clear at the World Cup that he wants to leave Atleti, but the La Liga club are standing firm.
Real Madrid and Barcelona are both keen on Alvarez with the former making their offer public. Barca are believed to be willing to increase their bid to £111m, banking City £3m, thanks to their 10 per cent sell on clause, if accepted.
The exciting news for the Blues is that Atletico are holding out for even more. Alvarez reportedly has a £419m release clause and were that to be activated, City would land roughly £33.8m.
Such a move is unrealistic but the power of the sell on clause is inarguable. Of course, it only works if City sell players at the right time.
There is no reason to suggest their selling strategy will change any time soon and if that's true, a passive income for the Blues will continue to be generated, benefitting Maresca and whoever succeeds him, for the foreseeable.