Why Gabriel Sara's move to Galatasaray made sense for City

Like James Maddison, Ben Godfrey, Emi Buendia and Andrew Omobamidele before him, Sara becomes the latest high-profile to exit for big money. In the end, it was a deal that all parties feel has benefited them. 

There was interest in Sara from the Premier League and Serie A, but Galatasaray were the only club to reach the figures acceptable to City, by quite some distance.

They also offered the Brazilian a lucrative personal package north of the figure that Gala are mandated to publish. Like the transfer fee, it excludes key financial elements that boost it significantly in reality. 

For Sara, the move to Turkey will offer him a window into Champions League football as well as a potential route to fulfilling his ultimate dream of representing Brazil. 

Given the evaporation of parachute payments, there is a hole in City's finance sheet to repair. The quickest and easiest way without investment from ownership is player trading; Norwich's model is predicated on doing so. 

With many clubs discovering the issues of profit and sustainability rules, Norwich are hamstrung further. Even if Mark Attanasio was in a positon to provide additional support, that would have to fall in line with those regulations. 

Equally, the published transfer fee from Gala is the most basic and diluted form of initial sum. That is excluding bonuses and add-ons. The former is more achievable, and Norwich are confident they will receive comfortably over £20m for Sara when all is said and done. 

Could Norwich have got more for Sara? The market this summer has shown not. Several Premier League clubs are admirers but feel the 25-year-old lacks the athleticism in certain areas of his game to commit a £20m plus fee to sign.

Unlike Buendia, Godfrey or Omobamidele, Sara hasn't played top-flight football. That was always going to keep the fee lower. Plus, unlike Maddison, he is no longer at an age where there is plenty more potential to coax out of him. The transfer market is, at present, slightly deflated. Teams are opting to be more cautious. It is the reality. 

Gabriel Sara is the latest high-profile Canaries star to depart Carrow Road for big money. (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

Installments, and plenty of them, are common too. The initial fee for Buendia was not remotely close to the overall package reported and divided into a series of smaller payments that helps to keep Norwich in line with their PSR obligations. 

Norwich needed to make sales this summer. It was always going to happen. More will likely follow, even if they aren't the ones who command major fees. There is well-documented interest in Adam Idah and Marcelino Nunez. 

It also strengthens their position to keep or negotiate higher deals for the likes of Jon Rowe, who is interesting Leeds United, and Josh Sargent. But, as ever, if clubs came to the table armed with cash, Norwich would entertain those conversations. 

Equally, it opens up possibilities to continue shaping the squad in a way that benefits Johannes Hoff Thorup and his desired style of play. Waiting would only prevent that process from properly beginning. 

More importantly, it gives Norwich a chance to return to the South American market with a compelling case study to sell to other talents. 'Come to Norwich as a gateway for European football, leave for the Champions League' is a message that will only strengthen their power of attraction in that region. 

They still have two full-time scouts in that continent and are actively scanning the area, but fees can be hefty and rules around agents are murkier and harder to navigate. 

Sara has carried himself with exceptional professionalism over this period, even though most accepted his future was elsewhere. 

There has been no sulking when offers have been knocked back and no pushing to depart, he has been professional and remained a positive presence in City's group to the end. Even in Austria, when Gala were pushing hard to sign him, he still wanted to play against Hoffenheim and stay until the end of the tour. 

He is a popular figure inside the dressing room, not just for his footballing ability but for his personality and human qualities. 

Sara will be remembered for his moments of brilliance at Carrow Road. (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

But Sara will be remembered at Carrow Road for his work on the pitch. He is the type of player that oozed quality from the moment the touchpaper was lit. 

It wasn't just the brilliant goals; it was the energy, work rate, dedication, and intelligence. He was a footballer who provoked joy and did things in matches that left those in attendance in awe. Sara is a vibes footballer. But he combines that with a rare structure and order. 

He wasn't an archetypal Brazilian who attempted stepovers at every opportunity nor would seek to flick the ball over an opponent; he was just quality in all facets.

Even his interactions after matches were impressively conducted. 

A few months after he signed, Sara conducted a post-match interview in Portuguese with the assistance of a translator. In a matter of weeks, he returned again on media duties, but this time was speaking fluently in English, much to the surprise of the assembled reporters.  

It was a transformation that beggared belief. Perhaps it best encapsulates his dedication to his craft and how he opts to conduct himself. 

When sparkled in with innate footballing talent, those qualities and work ethic show why Sara has engineered this type of move for himself. Nobody of a yellow and green persusaion would bet against him to keep rising. 

For Norwich, the mission to replace him will be tough. They have been scenario planning for this very outcome for a significant period of time. They have targets ready to attack and a lot of the work on the player side of those on the respective shortlists have been done. 

Ben Knapper will lead the search for his replacement. (Image: Denise Bradley/Newsquest)

That doesn't automatically mean a quick solution, but it has to be the right one. Versatility is expected to feature near the top of the main characteristics. It is possible more than one central midfield option arrives, but it may be options with the flexibility to cover over positions. 

Norwich will need to be creative, but with the signings of Jose Cordoba and Ben Chrisene, there has been a willingness both to look in different markets to other clubs and a patience to wait for their top targets. 

The expectation is that a busy few weeks are on the horizon. Norwich are now looking at a post-Sara world that will contain challenges - but, in the end, it was a move that all parties felt was in their best interest.