Manchester City have been linked with a shock move for Fulham left-back Antonee Robinson, as reported by The Sun.
The Lowdown: City no strangers to Championship recruitment
After an astounding Premier League campaign, the champions will be looking to recruit efficiently ahead of 2021/22. Always on the lookout for smart acquisitions, the recruitment axis of manager Pep Guardiola has become a hallmark of the domination his side have exerted over English football in recent years.
Newly-relegated Championship clubs can be an excellent mechanism of acquiring Premier League quality players for cut-price fees. Having previous experience of this market following the signing of Nathan Ake from Bournemouth last summer following their top-flight demise [BBC], City now seem set to follow a similar trajectory in the pursuit of United States international Robinson.
The Latest: £10m reported fee for Antonee Robinson
Manchester City are now set to move for Robinson after the Fulham defender enjoyed an encouraging debut Premier League season in 2020/21.
Making 32 appearances across the season for the west Londoners [Transfermarkt], he has now been earmarked as a prospective squad player for the reigning champions.
Available for around £10m, the former Wigan left-back could provide cover for positional counterparts Benjamin Mendy and Oleksander Zinchenko [The Sun].
Verdict: Robinson would be an excellent signing
Surprising as the link may seem, Robinson could be an excellent signing for Manchester City if they do business.
Despite suffering relegation with Fulham, the 23-year-old successfully completed 1.8 dribbles per game last season, demonstrating his applicability within an attacking style of play [WhoScored]. Bound to see far more of the ball if he moved to the Etihad Stadium, Robinson could develop into an elite Premier League left-back with the correct coaching.
He comes with glowing praise from current boss Scott Parker, who has said of the American: "He’s done incredibly well. [He’s] a boy with a big, big heart and a boy with a fearless attitude that embraces and takes things on a daily basis, same as in the games." [football.london]
These tendencies, coupled with his modest price tag and room for long-term development, could see Robinson have a tangible impact at the Etihad if he joins the champions. City should be doing all they can to get this cut-price deal over the line.
In other news, some Manchester City fans fumed over news on this stalwart.