Mills: Enzo Fernandez Gives Manchester City That X-Factor, but They Can't Rely on Haaland Alone

Speaking exclusively with BOYLE Sports , former Leeds , Manchester City and England defender Danny Mills has given his thoughts on the big questions at the Etihad .

Mills has explained why Enzo Fernandez was a smart addition, why City need a squad deep enough to rotate, and why finding cover for Erling Haaland is such a catch-22.

The former right-back has also assessed how the potential charges hanging over the club could shape their January business.

The Midfield

Enzo Fernandez Has Been Criticised for His Recent Performances for Manchester City.

I thought it was a really good transfer. Take out the money side of it, which is always quite difficult because it's a huge price tag, but I think Enzo Fernandez adds something a little bit extra in that Manchester City midfield. Elliott Anderson has been fantastic so far, but he can't do that alone.

Bouaddi is still very young and unproven, and will undoubtedly go on to be a fantastic player, but needs experience. Fernandez brings guile, nastiness and a desire to win at all costs; he brings a little bit of that X-factor.

Whether you like it or not, you need that in teams to be successful. The last couple of results haven't gone particularly well, but the first two or three performances really showed what a difference he made to their side.

How Will Bouaddi Develop Alongside Fernandez and Anderson?

City are going to play sixty-odd games this season. What if one of them gets injured or picks up a suspension? We saw Rodri have a Ballon d'Or -winning season and then pick up an injury.

These things happen very easily. You need a squad to be able to rotate, especially in those important areas, and these players will also be playing international football. It's a lot of games to get through, and we don't quite know what is going to happen to Manchester City .

Is Bouaddi for now, or is he for the future? A bit of both, probably. City aren't just looking at now with those types of transfers; they're looking at what might become in two or three years' time.

The Haaland Question

Are Manchester City Too Dependent on Erling Haaland?

They won the league pretty much without Sergio Aguero , who was absolutely outstanding, and they found a way to do that. It's very difficult to bring in an out-and-out centre-forward when you've got Erling Haaland in place, because you have to bring in someone who is happy to sit on the bench.

There aren't too many top strikers who are going to come in happy knowing they're second choice, yet of high enough quality to replace him if something happens. So you're stuck in a catch-22. Look at Lewandowski at Dortmund or Bayern , even Kane now. Who would go to Bayern Munich behind Kane and think they're going to play?

You're looking at players who are undoubtedly good enough but happy to sit on the bench, and there aren't too many strikers like that in the world. Haaland is a fantastic talent, so you do your best to keep him fit and build your team around it, as teams have always done with the likes of Messi or Ronaldo . What would Chelsea have been without Didier Drogba in those big moments? They're huge players; they're not irreplaceable, but it's very difficult to replace them like for like.

Will the Potential Charges Put City Off Business in January?

I think Manchester City 's January window depends on how strong this irrefutable evidence is that they're not guilty. There are lots of rumours going round about the potential sanctions. You would like to think their legal team would have some direction of what those charges or sanctions may be.

There are so many variables within that, and we're all a little bit unsure. Do they buy and stockpile? If it's going to be a transfer ban, or if it's points deductions, do they want to go too big in that case? There are too many unknowns, too many variables, to know what City are going to do in the window.

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