DON'T PANIC Guardiola's lack of transfer action isn't a problem

IT is a year since City unveiled not one but three new signings to their excited supporters.

- SIMON BAJKOWSKI

Erling Haaland, Julian Alvarez (technically a January buy but this was confirmation of his first-team status) and Stefan Ortega were all introduced at an event outside the Colin Bell stand, while Kalvin Phillips would have been there if he wasn’t ill. With a deal for Haaland announced even before the season had wrapped up, Txiki Begiristain had ensured the bulk of the Blues’ incomings were done early.

If they had held a similar welcome this year, Mateo Kovacic would be the only new face aside from an academy goalkeeper with the former Chelsea midfielder the only new addition so far.

With no sign of RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol doing his tour of the training ground yet, where are City at with their transfer plans in relation to previous years?

Clearly, last summer they were supremely effective to bring in four first-team players, including the coveted Haaland, before pre-season was underway. However, the search for a left-back dragged on through the summer in frustrating fashion before a decision was finally taken after the first weekend of the season to keep Sergio Gomez rather than send him on loan.