January transfer window recap: Manchester City squad overhaul postponed until summer

Pep Guardiola kept telling everybody he was "so so happy" with the squad, and he didn't expect to make any changes in the January transfer window. But we don't want to believe and we want to read transfer rumors, so there were plenty of those during the last 31 days of market activity.

In the end, Pep was right, and Manchester City kept quiet during a very uneventful month of business.

A few young players were moved around either on loan (like Angeliño and Faupala) or via permanent transfer (good luck, Jack Byrne). The club nearly signed a young Spanish striker from Valencia, but it looks like that will happen in the summer. City signed South American youth prospect Yangel Herrera, but he'll play in MLS or Australia with hopes of first team action in the future.

There were a couple of first team players involved in rumors, however. Fabian Delph is finally free from injury and has been playing well since his return, but since he's not a key part of the midfield (yet), there was some speculation he could have been moved on loan in January. Two teams tried to sign him: West Bromwich Albion made an approach two weeks ago, and Stoke City called on Deadline Day and made a late attempt at signing the player. City blocked both moves, and Delph is very happy to stay.

Another player heavily linked with a departure was Tosin Adarabioyo. The Academy product has just six months left in his current contract and the talks for a new deal have been very complicated. Ronald Koeman tried to take advantage of the opportunity and actively looked to bring the defender to Everton, but City rejected the offer and remain confident the 19-year-old will sign a new deal with the club.

In terms of possible signings, there were a lot of links, obviously, but there was only one actual attept to sign a player: in a moment of crisis on the defensive front with multiple injuries, Pep Guardiola tried to get Bayern Munich defender Holger Badstuber, one of his best friends in the German club, on a six-month loan until the end of the season. For a while it seemd like the deal was going to happen, but the player decided to join Schalke 04 instead, and City probably dodged a bullet considering Badstuber's injury record.

And the biggest story line of the January transfer window came thanks to a fake Sky Sports account that went on Twitter and claimed City were close to signing one of the best young full-backs in football, José Gayà from Valencia. A lot of people jumped on the news, and there were two hours of pandemonium among City fans so happy with the signing. Someone went and actually checked the fact, and it was revealed that there was no offer for Gayà.

After a month of nothing happening, it looks clear that the much anticipated overhaul of an aging City squad with players who don't fit Pep Guardiola's squad is coming in the summer. He's now had a lot of time to evaluate which players he can count on, which can leave and who will be joining. Seven players run out of their contracts and it's almost certain they will all be leaving the club, and we should expect two very busy months in July and August.

The opposite of this January.