As a London-based sports data analyst with 8 years of Premier League experience, I’ve tracked this transfer saga closely. Manchester City’s refusal to release James Mac蒂—a 22-year-old talent valued at £25M—wasn’t just administrative caution. It was a geometric calculation: protecting squad depth, denying United a pathway that could reshape the club’s long-term strategy. This isn’t about emotion—it’s about xG models, player mobility curves, and the cold logic of elite football economics.