After access for 218 million
© Imago
Pep Guardiola defended Manchester City’s recent investments of 218 million euros-the second highest winter editions in football history-to journalists. “Only so that you know, in the past five years we have been the last one in terms of net editions,” said the Spaniard (quotes via “City Xtra“).
It remains his secret whether Guardiola took a look at the TM database. However, the master trainer is not entirely correct: if you compare the net editions of the Big Six since the summer of 2020, the Citizens do not occupy the last, but fifth place. The six big clubs of England are traditionally included United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Man City and everyone has done a massive transfer minus.
Chelsea leads the list with a minus of EUR 925 million, followed by MAN United (-681 million euros), Tottenham (-571 million euros), arsenal (-556 million euros) and the Citizens with a minus of 387 million euros. The most economical club under the Big Six are the Reds from Liverpool (EUR -300 million).
Guardiola followed up and said that his team has the least negative transfer record of the six top clubs in the past three years. Here, too, it is only just next to it: Man City (-233 million euros) has been fifth in the rating since 2022 before Liverpool (-171 million euros). “Even after what we spent in this transfer window, we are far from Chelsea, United, Arsenal, Tottenham and even Liverpool because we sold a lot in the last seasons,” said the Spaniard.
Guardiola: Manchester City can “spend money because we have it”
From January 2022, the Citizens achieved a high degree of replacement and generated 480 million euros in income with 19 transfers. The price-performance ratio is, if you only look at the period mentioned by Guardiola from 2020. The cup showcase was expanded by four championships, the Champions League, the club world championship, a UEFA supercup and a FA-Cup. However, the high investments from Abu Dhabi did not start in the summer of 2020, but in 2008 and with this money the foundation stone was laid for the recently very successful years, which were refined by winning the triplet in the 2022/23 season.
“In the end, every club can do what they want, right? And if we can spend money, then because we have the money. We have the money because we have been in the past five years, in the past three years … In the past ten years we have been third (in the net editions; i.e. Red.), But in the past five years, in the past three years, In which we won, we are behind the top 6 teams, ”said Guardiola.
Premier League takes action against Manchester City
However, one is threatened with punishment on the part of the Premier League, which has raised the Skyblues 115 charges – the seasons from 2009 to 2023 are examined. This is, for example, violations of the UEFA financial fair play and violations Profitability and sustainability rules of the league. Reports recently arose that the Citizens are going on the offensive and in turn complains against the tightened sponsorship rules of the league. Guardiola’s team, which has the most valuable squad in the world at 1.3 billion euros, stumbles fifth in the league this season and has to ran out in the newly created co-round of the Champions League against Real Madrid.