The English Galácticos?

Tuesday, June 23, 2009 -- The expected busy summer of transfer activity is yet to materialise, with Manchester City the notable exception. The Citizens were always going to be protagonists in the transfer market and they have wasted no time in splashing the cash.

Gareth Barry and Roque Santa Cruz have joined for large fees, with more new recruits sure to follow. The question is whether the forthcoming new signings will be global superstars or Premier League thoroughbreds. Will City really become England’s version of Spain’s Galácticos?

Real Madrid are hard to match in this regard. They not only (mystifyingly) have the money to spend, but they have the allure required to tempt the big names. This is why Kaká knocked back City’s January offer and waited for a move to the Bernabéu.
Robinho is the exception to the rule. The signing of the Brazilian star was significant, as it suggested City could attract the game’s superstars. However, the Galáctico floodgates did not open, which might not be a bad thing.

For all his flair, Robinho has been a frustrating presence at Eastlands, unsettling the squad with his tantrums, training camp walkouts and lack of effort. Mark Hughes will think very carefully before throwing money at another big name – the clean-living Kaká and hard-working Carlos Tevez are not perceived as risks in this regard.

Hughes has instead turned his attention to established Premier League players, although some will suggest this is more a case of lowering his sights. Barry and Santa Cruz are purchases in the same mould as Shay Given, Craig Bellamy, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Wayne Bridge – international players who can be trusted to make an immediate domestic impact.

The Galácticos phenomenon is viewed with suspicion, as a policy of a style over substance. It remains to be seen whether Florentino Perez’s second Galácticos era is more successful than his first, but City will be happier if comparisons with Real Madrid are not drawn, unless of course both teams’ astronomical spending brings them their respective league titles.