Why haven't Manchester City signed anyone yet this summer?
30.06.2024 - 06:15 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk
As European minnows Georgia prepare for their Euro 2024 clash with Spain, it could be one of their former players trending on social media ahead of their current crop.
When Georgia beat Portugal on Wednesday to book a knockout spot, it was Manchester City icon Georgi Kinkladze who was the topic of conversation among fans online - just as much as Napoli's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, three-goal captain Georges Mikautadze or impressive goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili.
Kinkladze retains cult status at City, a shining light in the club's darkest hour. Former teammates and managers liken him to Diego Maradona, and his sensational reel of goals are still replayed 25 years on. Noel Gallagher said he was 'either the most frightening thing I’ve ever seen or the best thing I’ve ever seen'.
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But despite the highlights, Kinkladze is still blamed by some former teammates for City's drop from Premiership to the third tier. A player so revered by the fanbase and remembered just as fondly as the treble-winning superstars of today - but simultaneously responsible for their lowest ebb, according to some ex-colleagues.
Kinkladze was a £2m signing from Dinamo Tbilisi in 1995, having caught the eye of scouts while playing for Georgia against Wales a year earlier. “They murdered us... [Kinkladze] was different class and the best player on the pitch by a mile,” Welsh goalkeeper Southall said afterwards.
City chairman Franny Lee swooped for the forward, handing manager Alan Ball a mercurial talent to rival Eric Cantona's impact over the city at Manchester United.
Kinkladze actually chose City over United that summer, as revealed by former City
Why haven't Manchester City signed anyone yet this summer?
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