One of the realities of Manchester City being a super-club is that they have to think outside the box at times when it comes to transfer policy.
Ambitions of winning every available piece of silverware aren't conducive with selling off star men for hefty fees, so City pursue a strategy of buying promising players, developing them through a series of loans and then selling them on for profit.
The likes of Jack Harrison, Aaron Mooy, Enes Unal and Douglas Luiz are examples of how this approach can work well, while Patrick Roberts, Bruno Zuculini and Philippe Sandler are perhaps not.
One player who looks set to fall into the former category is Yangel Herrera.
Who is he?
Herrera is a 23-year-old midfielder who City signed from Atletico Venezuela in 2017, shortly after Gabriel Jesus arrived at the Etihad Stadium.
However, unlike his fellow South American, Herrera was not given a pathway to the first team and was immediately loaned to City's sister club New York City FC for the best part of two years.
He then spent the second half of 2018/19 at Spanish club SD Huesca, before joining fellow LaLiga side Granada on a two-year loan.
Herrera is a regular for the Venezuela national team and made one substitute appearance at the 2021 Copa America, before a broken leg ended his tournament.
What kind of player is he?
Herrera is a classic central midfielder who is just as adept at attacking as he is at defending.
He is extremely versatile and was deployed in a number of different roles within Granada's 4-4-2 setup. Usually, he would line up as a central midfielder or defensive midfielder, but occasionally he played closer to the front two or even as a makeshift centre-back.
One of the notable qualities of his game is his pressing ability, something that would actually make him suited to life under Pep Guardiola at City.
In 2020/21, he ranked 21st in LaLiga for successful pressures (152), which was an excellent return given Granada are not a team who press intensely. The next Granada player on the list registered 104th, as per FBref.
Herrera's 59 blocks were the 17th highest total in the league - impressive for a midfielder. However, with a completion rate of just 67.7%, his passing could do with improvement.
Over two seasons at Granada he made 82 appearances in all competitions, scoring 10 goals and providing five assists.
In 2019/20 he played a pivotal role in Granada achieving a club-best LaLiga finish of sixth, before helping them reach the quarter-finals in their maiden Europa League campaign last season.
How much is he worth?
City paid an undisclosed fee for Herrera in early 2017, and after two successful years playing in LaLiga value him at around £20million.
Herrera is a definite possibility to leave the club on transfer deadline day, although it may not be on a permanent deal as suspected earlier this summer.
His injury in June might have acted to cool reported interest from the likes of Southampton, West Ham and Leeds, but City are not willing to accept a knockdown fee.
Do you think City will make any moves before the transfer window closes? Follow our new City Fan Brands Writer Alex Brotherton on Twitter to get involved in the discussion and give us your thoughts in the comments section below.
