Adam Johnson

Our second signing of the Mancini era, the first for a fee, and a possible pointer towards our future transfer policy: Adam Johnson is an interesting one.

In the immediate term it could be a helpful signing - with the departure of Robinho we're left with three attacking wide players, with question marks over the fitness of all three of them. Adam Johnson has been a rare good news story for Middlesbrough FC over the last year or two, impressing with his pace and ability both as an old fashioned outside-left and coming in off the right - as he did against us in the FA Cup game last month.

But as a pointer to a long term strategy it's more interesting. Under Mark Hughes the transfer policy was absolutely clear: established Premier League names, with experience at the top end of the table. It would not be unfair to say that Hughes' focus on these attributes verged into myopia. That Arsenal bought Thomas Vermaelen for 40% of what we paid for Joleon Lescott is slightly frustrating.

As Hughes left we heard that this was to change. Garry Cook said that the club would try to mimic Arsenal by signing young players and bringing them through. Roberto Mancini's first signing was Patrick Vieira - an old friend from Inter. He also looked at Marco Motta, Mathieu Flamini and McDonald Mariga - all from Serie A. But this is very different. A young English player, signed from the Championship. It is possible that Mancini was aware of him before, but it's much more likely that this was a transfer driven from elsewhere.

Almost certainly from Brian Marwood. Scouting and player recruitment come under his remit as Football Administration Officer. We know that he was the lead player in the attempted signing of Victor Moses. This is all conjecture but I imagine that he compiled a list of young British talent, at the behest of Garry Cook, and today's purchase of Johnson is the end-product.

So what does it tell us about the new era at City? Nothing out of the ordinary. I certainly don't think that it represents an undermining or an emasculating of Mancini to have player recruitment not entirely in his hands. He is coming from Inter, where the President Massimo Morrati, as well as Marco Branca and Gabriele Oriali are famously involved in transfer policy. So this will not be a culture shock to Mancini but quite the opposite. Beyond that, as an Italian who has spent almost his entire working life in Italian football, it would be unfair to expect Mancini to have a working knowledge of young British talent. So as a model of doing transfers it sounds smart. Expect more such purchases in future.