Manchester City's recruitment operation has been laid bare in a new report, and the numbers are suitably absurd. A database of 650,000 players, a six-stage filtering process and a final shortlist that rarely exceeds half a dozen names.
The details come courtesy of BBC Sport, and they offer the clearest picture yet of how Hugo Viana has reshaped the department since taking over from Txiki Begiristain as director of football ahead of the 2025/26 season.
From 650,000 to six
It starts, as these things tend to, with a brief. The football department outlines the profile of player required, and the vast global database is filtered accordingly. City, for instance, split full-backs into three distinct categories: defensive, those who come inside, and those who play high and wide.
Data filters grading overall ability then cut the list to a longlist of between 20 and 50 names. That is cross-referenced with the scouting department's own longlist, and the report notes a significant overlap between the two. Scouts then apply further metrics to rank and prioritise, whittling the group down to a maximum of around six players.
At that stage, the club conducts deeper individual assessment on each target — injury record, athletic performance, behavioural habits — before compiling the findings into what City call acquisition packs. Each pack includes a radar chart rating specific on-field attributes.
Viana is clear about where the balance lies. "Data plays a role in our decision-making, but it is just one part of the overall picture," he said. "We know data cannot tell us everything about a player. It cannot fully show a person's character, mentality or behaviour. That is why we study data insights but focus on the expertise of our scouts and other specialists."
Once those packs are evaluated, City's own valuation — never a single figure, always a data-informed price range — is factored in, and the list drops to two or three names. A priority is identified, though all are worked on simultaneously in case circumstances shift, such as a player becoming unavailable.
Cambiaso on the radar
One name cited as a product of this process is Juventus full-back Andrea Cambiaso. The 26-year-old Italy international is highlighted for his ability to come inside and contribute to build-up play in midfield, with his comfort on both feet also rating highly.
City decided not to proceed with their interest in the previous transfer window, based on a combination of data and scouting reports. Cambiaso is expected to remain a monitored target, though, given how the system is structured.
The summer just gone shows the machine in action. Enzo Fernandez arrived from Chelsea for a club-record £125 million, while Elliot Anderson and teenage sensation Ayyoub Bouaddi also came in from Lille.
City return from the October international break with a trip to Liverpool on the 11th, followed by a Champions League visit from Paris Saint-Germain three days later. The January window will offer Viana's department the next chance to act on the shortlists already taking shape.