Semenyo and Guehi entered negotiations with their eyes open.
Both had the Premier League’s elite to choose from in January.
Semenyo was a target for Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham. Liverpool, too, were credited with an interest in the 26-year-old, who had a £65m release clause at Bournemouth. He prioritised a move to City.
Guehi was admired on an even greater scale. Out of contract at Crystal Palace at the end of this season, the England defender had suitors across Europe.
Bayern, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid had serious interest in signing him on a free transfer at the end of the season, while Real Madrid and Barcelona were also in the running. Liverpool’s interest was well documented. Arsenal and Tottenham also tried to convince him to agree to move across London this summer.
Guehi chose City.
It is inconceivable that either player decided to sign a long-term contract without knowing it is likely the majority of that time will be spent under a manager who is not Guardiola.
Of course, the opportunity to work for him – even if it is for six months – is one most players are not afforded. But that alone is unlikely to have been enough to compel Semenyo and Guehi to sign five-and-a-half-year deals.
City can no longer lean heavily on the idea of flourishing under Guardiola in their pitches to players.
According to sources, rival club executives have used the emerging narrative over the managerial situation to persuade players to ignore advances from the Blues – as if to suggest their success will wane once Guardiola is gone.
Nevertheless – certainly for Semenyo and Guehi – City’s pitch remains among the most competitive around, despite the uncertainty over Guardiola.
There is no escaping the fact they are one of the best payers in Europe, and it would be disingenuous to suggest finances were not a big factor in the two new signings.
That said, it is understood Tottenham’s offer to Semenyo was the most lucrative he received in January.
Indeed, sources close to both transfers say it was City demonstrating they gave a virtual guarantee of competing for the biggest trophies and consistent Champions League qualification that proved pivotal in the decision-making process.
Their state-of-the-art infrastructure and off-field ambitions are key features of their pitch to new players, but ultimately it centres on on-field success.
They impress on prospective signings the world-class squad already assembled, combined with their commitment to continue recruiting elite players.
Their strategy of extending the contracts of their best talent in search of continuity and stability also features prominently in their pitch. The 10-year contract that striker Erling Haaland signed last year is a case in point.
But it is City’s body of work under their Abu Dhabi ownership – even prior to Guardiola’s arrival – that is their truly unique selling point for prospective signings.
The trophies speak for themselves.
That is not to say there are not some uncertainties. The implications of City’s prolonged legal battle over the much-documented 115 charges in relation to alleged Premier League financial rule breaches weighs heavily over the Etihad. The club strongly deny any wrongdoing.
The outcome of the case will resonate, and any punishment may alter the landscape of English football and City’s history.
While no-one knows where the case is up to, the rebuild City have carried out over the past year suggests they are not actively preparing for the worst.
Regardless of what lies ahead in that respect, they will continue to prepare the football operation for success way beyond when Guardiola is gone.
For those at City, the arrivals of Semenyo and Guehi have provided tangible proof that their recruitment operations are not dependent on Guardiola’s employment.
