Manchester City: For all his foresight, Pep Guardiola concludes transfer window with bout of bad business

Samir Nasri, Wilfried Bony, Eliquiam Mangala and Joe Hart have all been sent out on loan but could have been sold in a bid to recoup some of City's summer spendings - Pep has missed out

Samir Nasri made just eight appearances for City last season and has not been included in Pep Guardiola's plans this time round either - he should have been sold (Getty)

For all his foresight and footballing intellect, Pep Guardiola has concluded what has been a largely successful summer of transfers with a bizarre bout of bad business. The Manchester City exodus of Samir Nasri, Wilfried Bony, Eliquiam Mangala and Joe Hart is a bona fide head-scratcher. Having spent more than £170m this summer, these four players presented the perfect opportunity to recoup some of the cash that has been splashed at the Etihad.

Given the financial state of this summer's transfer windows - in which players such as Andre Ayew and Georginio Wijnaldum have sold for £20.5m and £25m respectively - this quartet could quite easily have sold for anywhere between £50m and £75m. Instead, all four players have been sent out on loan. But why?

For Stoke, Wilfried Bony represents a seriously significant scoop. His physicality on the ball and his marksmanship - he has scored a total of 130 goals in 278 career appearances - will bring a welcome addition to a Stoke frontline that already boasts the likes of Xherdan Shaqiri and Marko Arnautovic. But why not make the deal permanent? Such a deal would make complete sense for both sides.

Not to demean a player of Bony's calibre but City will always be able to attract goal-scorers above and beyond the Ivorian's abilities. Sergio Aguero, Nolito, Kevin de Bruyne - they’re not the first, nor will they be the last for a club like Manchester City. As unfortunate as it may be, Bony has no realistic future there. But outside of the Etihad, however, Bony undoubtedly has a future. Guardiola could have comfortably walked away with an excess of £20m had he opted to sell him. As Mark Hughes said himself at Bony’s unveiling, it’s a “no-brainer to be honest".

The same very much applies for Samir Nasri. Competing for a position that has become saturated with talent, Nasri has struggled to make an impression at the club in recent years. He made a mere eight appearances across all competitions under Manuel Pellegrini last season. After being deemed surplus to Guardiola’s requirements, why not sell him for good?

At 29-years-old, the player’s best days may be behind him but, even so, City could have offloaded the midfielder for a sizeable, multi-million fee. Whether or not the club simply left it too late to finalise a permanent deal for Nasri, or whether they intend to keep him on the books for now, the Frenchman is simply not needed. His loan move to Sevilla represents yet another wasteful drain on City’s financial resources.

Mangala could have similarly been sold for a sizeable fee but moves to Valencia on loan instead (Getty)

Similarly, Eliaquim Mangala joins Nasri in Spain after signing on loan for Valencia. He arrived with much promise at the Etihad but ultimately failed to deliver, fading into the periphery. The future of the Manchester City backline ultimately lies elsewhere. Although young and not without his faults, John Stones promises to usher in a defensive renaissance for the club. At 22 years of age, Guardiola will look to build his defence around the Englishman. Mangala simply does not fit the bill. He too could have returned the club a considerable amount of money had they chosen to sell.

As for Joe Hart, the argument admittedly swings both ways. Had City tried, they could have found a permanent home for the goalkeeper. Maybe not in the Premier League - where there seemed to be a genuine lack of appetite for Hart - but further afield for sure. After all, Hart has impressed for City down the years, clinching four Golden Glove awards between 2010 and 2015. A proven shot-stopper with years of Premier League experience and a genuine presence in goal, Hart has established himself as a household name in football - despite the catastrophe of Euro 2016. It was only a year ago that Gianluigi Buffon described him as the best goalkeeper in the world - a fine compliment from one of the sport’s all-time greats.

Joe Hart was confirmed as a Torino player on Wednesday (Getty)

Having cost a mere £100,000 in 2006, the club could have made a very healthy return on Hart indeed. While he currently lacks the reputation that David de Gea or Manuel Neuer commands, the England international is still worth millions by today’s standards and could have found an appropriate suitor had the club acted sooner.

Nonetheless, compared to the other three, Hart’s loan move could arguably prove to be a shrewd bit of business. Given his 29 years of age, Hart still has a few years left in the tank as a keeper. Seeing it less as an exile and more as an opportunity for exoneration, Hart could yet restore his confidence in Italy, improve technically with the ball at feet, and eventually return to City a better rounded keeper. For all his flaws, Hart still has a future and could one day oust the very player who originally drove him away. After all, at 33, Claudio Bravo is not getting any younger. In settling for a loan move as opposed to a permanent transfer, City have kept the door open to Hart.

Despite ultimately conducting their business in style for much of the summer, City have bowed out in limp fashion. Amidst all the mania and panic of the transfer window’s final days, the Manchester club passed on the opportunity to cash in, instead opting to loan this foursome out instead. For all their success in bringing in the right players, the club should equally have identified the right moment when to let them go too.