When Manchester City signed Maicon on deadline day during the summer transfer window for £3.5 million it showed that City simply had money to burn and just bought the right back for the sake of it.
They already have Alexsander Kolarov and Pablo Zabaleta in that position so why would they need Maicon? Mancini, who previously managed the Brazilian at Inter, probably thought to himself ‘He used to be pretty good a few years ago, I’ve got three and a half mill spare, so why not?’
Why not indeed but it hasn’t worked out for Maicon because it is clear to even Stevie Wonder that the right back has been eating too many pies and can’t handle the pace of the Premier League.
He’s the wrong side of 30, too, so I’m sure City fans aren’t expecting much from Maicon.
He did manage to score some pretty impressive goals during his time at Inter and was one of the most exciting right backs ever seen during his prime.
I suppose you could call him the quintessential Brazilian right back; excellent going forward, a flair for the spectacular but sometimes quite suspect when defending.
Here are some of Maicon’s best moments for both club and country.