2013/14 Player Ratings: Alvaro Negredo

Alvaro Negredo (32 appearances - 21 starts and 11 as substitute): 7/10.

Like one or two members of City's title-winning squad it was to be a tale of two seasons for Alvaro Negredo. Negredo, who arrived as somewhat of an unknown quantity in the summer from Sevilla, started his City life on the bench with Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero preferred ahead of him. (Remember those early season Roberto Soldado comparisons?)

Yet Negredo soon found his way into the City line-up - and boy did he respond. His power and all-action style quickly resonated with fans and the 'Beast' nickname quickly stuck. Linking superbly with Aguero in that period in the run up to Christmas was a key factor as City rained goals upon the Premier League. Negredo looked like he was made for the Premier League and that he would be unstoppable over the course of the season.

Yet the second half of the season largely told a different story. A shoulder injury undoubtedly inhibited his effectiveness, robbing his play of the purpose of earlier in the season. Due to Aguero's injury he may have been forced to play rather too long when a complete break would have been best and he and Dzeko never quite clicked in the fashion he had done with Aguero.

The final stage of the season saw him jettisoned to the bench - even in Aguero's absence - with his only minutes coming in the latter part of games and his season ended with a long stretch without a goal. His participation in the World Cup is by no means secure with him being one of the candidates to miss Spain's final cut and in the longer term it may be beneficial for a complete break this summer to fully heal so that he can return as the player who burst on to the scene at the start of the season rather than the one who limped across the finishing line.