Manchester City have made a lot of money on player sales in recent years but Hugo Viana must consider the value in the squad
Pep Guardiola, manager of Manchester City, celebrates victory with Matheus Nunes after the Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final match between AFC Bournemouth and Manchester City
Pep Guardiola celebrates with his Manchester City players after the FA Cup win over Bournemouth
Hugo Viana has been brought in at Manchester City to continue to fine work of Txiki Begiristain. The Sporting executive was picked to succeed one of the most important figures in City's recent history not because he was going to rip up the work of his predecessor but because he could continue it.
Even though Viana has not officially started, that process has already been seen in the January window. Begiristain drove the signing of centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov from Lens, yet Viana was influential in the purchase of Brazilian defender Vitor Reis; both look like fine prospects that are absolutely in the mould of player that Pep Guardiola likes.
As much as Viana will aim to carry on where Begiristain left off, he also faces some decisions that cannot be avoided even if they reflect badly on what has gone before him. One of those became clear at Bournemouth on Sunday.
Matheus Nunes has never looked comfortable at City full stop following a £51m move from Wolves two years ago, and it has been particularly difficult to see him at full-back. He offers plenty to the team going forward but there have been too many disastrous mistakes that have been costly to City.
Making two basic errors in the same passage of play to allow Bournemouth to score was a timely reminder of this, especially ahead of the second Manchester derby of the season. In the first, City were cruising to a victory until Nunes made two rash mistakes.
As much as his performances can be mitigated in that he is not a full-back, neither is Nico O'Reilly. As Guardiola made clear afterwards, the 20-year-old rookie is a No.10 who has been asked to fill in with a problem position.
O'Reilly had the same handicap as Nunes but has produced far more than his more experienced colleague. Moving forward, that has to be recognised as City plan for the future.
From a purely financial point of view, the club would gain far more from capitalising on the interest from Chelsea and other clubs in O'Reilly to sell for an enormous profit. With no cost given he is homegrown, any money made on him would push City further into the green.
However, from a sporting level the value of the team is more with O'Reilly in it. Whatever that means for Nunes and his future and whether he is kept or moved on in a deal that will not see City profit, Sunday exposed the gap between what the two players can offer.
Nunes has not taken anywhere near enough of his chances over the last two years, and O'Reilly's performance felt like a wake-up call for Guardiola that he should have had more trust in his fearless youngsters. The proof of that pudding will be in who is selected for the final ten games or so of this season.
But it will also come in the summer when there are inevitably enquiries for O'Reilly. How City react will give a good indication of where Viana sees value in the squad and the market.
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