whilst  Gaël Clichy  joined  Manchester City . [7]  It was August before the club's transfer activity increased, with promising young striker  Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain  joining from  Southampton  for a reported £12 million, [8]  before the departures of Fàbregas to Barcelona, the long-serving  Emmanuel Eboué  to Turkish side  Galatasaray , [9]  and  Samir