And that's the funny thing here, and what I bet rubs you the entirely wrong way; Pep wanted MAtS first, but Barça and himself rejected. Why is that? Simple really; because he's good enough to equal what Bravo did here and has a higher ceiling, cementing his place at Barça for the next decade or so. Why did Pep want MAtS first? Because of the exact same reasons. Bravo was always his second choice, and that makes you mad, as he's practically been deemed second best by not just Barça, but also Pep.
Isn't there an option that Pep approached Mats back in January (or later during the last season) because he was a 2nd choice, so it was easier (on paper) to get a guy who is unhappy with his current status in his club?
Not necessarily because he is better, but because he was unhappier and more likely to move to another club, especially since there were rumors back then than Mats was unhappy, and there weren't that many rumors that Bravo is unhappy (since he was the 1st choice)?
I mean, I have no idea what happened, the same as you or anyone on this forum.
Maybe your story is right, maybe my story is right, maybe all of our theories are horribly wrong and who knows what was happening behind the curtains for the last 12 Months...
But, I personally don't like how Barcaforum is currently creating their "stories" and how the other options more or less don't exist.
You have mentioned several times on several different topics this theory how Pep approached Mats first because he is=better?
I offered my theory, maybe he approached him earlier this season because Mats was unhappy and wasn't a first choice.
Also, a lot of users are mentioning how Lucho probably decided that this season Mats will be a pick No1.
We have very thin clues for that.
All we know is that Bravo was pick no1 from Lucho for 2 seasons.
Then Mats was unhappy.
Then Mats was even more unhappy.
Then Pep approached Mats during last season.
Then there was more tension this summer.
Then Bravo is sold.
Maybe Bravo was pissed because he is still a No1 (in this, 3rd season), but had too low wages?
= so, maybe Bravo left because of low wages, not because Mats is suddenly a No1?
Maybe Bravo left because he wanted a lengthy contract extension, like 2-3 years, and the board offered him only 1 year extension?
= so, maybe Bravo left not because Mats was a No1 in this season, but because he wasn't given a lengthy contract and this was again about money and long contract
Or, maybe was Bravo pissed off because he wanted to play even more in this season, like La Liga+Cl and this is why the board said: No. That's impossible, you can go in that case.
Maybe City didn't have enough of money for Mats because of those rules regarding money spent?
Maybe Barca is in financial troubles and we have spent too much this season (Digne 20-ish, Denis 5-10 or whatever number, Andre 40-50, Umtiti 30+=100+ Millions easily without too many sales), and since we still need both a 4th Cf (30m for Paco, who is available currently, but we are probably short with money. And this is a now or never opportunity to buy Paco. The board maybe needed more money and since it is somewhat absurd to have 2 very expensive Gks, maybe they decided for the inevitable option: to let one go. And since Mats is younger (and even though Lucho would maybe still play Bravo as the no1 in this, the 3rd season), sporting staff said: sell Bravo, that's our longterm project and we need to cash on one of them.
Plus, more or less, Bravo is the only player for whom we can get 20-ish M currently.
Whom else we could sell? Samper, Rafinha, Douglas?
We'll cash on Bravo and earn a lot and maybe get Paco for the same money.
Two problems (unhappy Gks and our need for the 4th Cf) solved with one move.
Once again, you have no idea what happened, I have no idea what happened, nobody here has any idea what happened.
But there are at least a few somewhat possible options, like these from above, in which we sold Bravo even though he would still be our pick no1 in the next season.
But the forum is slowly building a myth and "accepted truth" that:
1. Mats would be a No1 this season, no matter what. This is why we sold Bravo.
2. that Pep picked Mats first because he is better
As Catalinutz likes to say out of fun: This is a FACT.
Well, this is miles from the fact.
Again, your story may be totally true, who knows?
But you should, imo, still leave the doors at least slightly opened for other possibilities.