Why Stevan Jovetic Can Be Man City’s Best ‘Signing’ This Season

It’s transfer window time and across the footballing world, fans crave a marquee signing. More often than not, that’s an attacker whose arrival teases supporters ahead of the new season, someone whose reputation injects an increased sense of excitement to a campaign. In the upper echelons of the Premier League, Chelsea have splashed out on Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa, Arsenal have added Alexis Sanchez and Manchester City have, well, brought in a back-up goalkeeper, a back-up right-back and a holding midfielder.

It has been a steady, rather than pulsating, period of activity from the Blues, but there may well be a forgotten figure at the club who is ready to emerge from the shadows.

It would be easy to overlook Stevan Jovetic. He signed last summer to much acclaim, regarded as one of the most talented young players in the world, but a season decimated by a succession of injuries relegated him to a peripheral role at best. As the club’s other summer arrivals settled in and enjoyed productive campaigns, Jovetic was forced to take a seat in the physio’s room as he battled a series of muscle and, according to Manuel Pellegrini on one occasion, psychological problems.

He made just five starts in all competitions, two of those in the Premier League, and he was forced to watch on from the sidelines as City’s other attacking stars benefited from the manager’s relentlessly positive style. As fans were treated to the likes of David Silva, Samir Nasri, Jesus Navas, Yaya Touré and Fernandinho pouring forward, supplying the trio of Sergio Aguero, Alvaro Negredo and Edin Dzeko with chances galore, it was understandably easy to neglect the injury troubles of Jovetic.

Indeed, there were rumours aplenty that he may return to Italy over the summer. Plenty of clubs in Serie A showed an interest in bringing him back, but City were steadfast in their refusal to acknowledge any offers. And rightly so, because when he featured last season there were incontestable flashes of his invention. His quick feet caught the eye, his purpose and intensity on the ball shone, and he grasped his limited opportunities to tease.

It was felt that he would benefit from a World Cup-free post-season, when he would be able to work on his fitness and come back ready to impress for the new campaign. That is how it has played out. He’s back, looking sharp, eager to make an impression and his goalscoring display attracted the attention against AC Milan.

Of course, those sorts of friendlies are relatively meaningless in terms of offering in insight into how the season might progress. Just a couple of years ago, under the stewardship of Roberto Mancini, City operated with a 3-5-2 formation throughout pre-season and dismantled Chelsea in the Community Shield with a display of genuine quality. The new system worked superbly, providing width, mobility and a cutting edge. During the campaign, however, the contrast could not have been more marked. Performances were abysmal, games were lost and players complained.

All that said, Jovetic displayed last night some of the qualities which hint at his potential for providing a different dimension to City’s attacks. He doesn’t have the wizardry of David Silva, nor the silky dribbling of Samir Nasri, nor the express pace of Jesus Navas, but he floats between the lines and has proven tricky to defend against. He’s certainly not a lead-the-line striker and from what we’ve seen, he’s not a traditional creative midfielder who will operate behind the striker from a relatively fixed position. His role is actually quite hard to define as he drifts around searching for space and time.

Both of his goals against AC Milan showcased his tendencies. For his first strike, he dropped slightly off the forward line, dragging the opposition defender with him, then as soon as Navas brought the ball under control, the Montengrin burst into the box and coolly finished with his right foot. His second was just as good, again dropping a touch deeper before arriving at the right moment into the area. One touch controlled the ball and his second fired home.

It may well be a cliché, but following his prolonged fitness battles last season, his availability is like that of a new signing. He has the talent to sparkle in English football and should he remain fit and in form, he could very well be one of the ‘signings’ of the season.

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