New Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini's transfer strategy is clear: big names for big money, concluded swiftly. The latest business is likely to be Stevan Jovetic from Fiorentina, with the two sides having agreed a fee thought to be around £22.4m.
With the likes of Fernandinho, Jesus Navas and Alvaro Negredo already settling in at their new club, Pellegrini is beginning to accumulate an embarrassment of attacking talent. Sports Mole looks at where the new man Jovetic would fit into the City set-up.
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Two strikers have already left City this summer, although you can be forgiven if you had forgotten that Roque Santa Cruz was still on the club's books. The other, Carlos Tevez, left a big gap up front that would be very difficult to fill.
In Sergio Aguero Pellegrini already has a world-class forward, with the addition of Negredo likely to be for the Spaniard's ability to lead the line and bully defenders with his strength. Jovetic is a different prospect entirely and would add a real tactical alternative.
Perhaps the first thing that strikes you about Jovetic is his energy, which is a vital asset for the Premier League. His work-rate has come about from a combination of a thoroughly professional attitude and passion for the game, and with the attributes he has he could be a very tough opponent to deal with.
He can finish a chance, certainly, although he is not a natural poacher and he does lack some of the power to be a genuine sole forward in the Premier League. However, his movement, pace and ability to read the game more than make up for this.
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Ideally, he will have another striker alongside him to do a bit more of the dirty work as he drops into the channels and draws defenders out of their comfort zone. In a front pairing he can lead the line with his movement or sit behind a teammate and pick the ball up from deep.
One of his better abilities is his range of passing. At Fiorentina he is often an outlet to start counter-attacking moves and as such he has developed great vision and timing for his passes, whether they are layoffs to deeper teammates or angled through balls.
With the ball at his feet, rather than winning headers or hanging on the shoulder of the last defenders, is where Jovetic comes into his own. He likes to cut in from the left and get his body in between defenders, which makes him very hard to win the ball from.
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That means that City, who already enjoy pace up front and the ability to break, will be able to adapt to games if they have Jovetic on the pitch. With the likes of David Silva and Fernandinho available, Pellegrini can get his players to zip the ball about if need be. However, if they find themselves under pressure then the ability of Jovetic to find pockets of space could become a vital outlet.
Jovetic is the sort of player who can score goals from nothing, with his aspect of unpredictability sure to keep opponents guessing. A natural footballer, he has the ability to link up with Navas and the rest of the City midfield to help Pellegrini's brand of fluid football come to the fore.
The 2011-12 champions will start the season with options up front, should the deal for Jovetic go through, as well as crucial depth. The Montenegrin, who was involved in 18 goals from 29 appearances for Viola last season, is different to any forward City currently have, and this alone could prove crucial in any title push.
Matt Domm
