Pep Guardiola has defended Man City transfer spending against criticism. He argued that over the last five years, his club has only the seventh-highest net spend in the Premier League despite the two-window January activity.
The City boss, who is known for being sarcastic, revealed that six clubs have spent more money than his side since the 2021-22 season began and implied that those clubs should now carry the burden of winning major trophies.
According to the figures of Transfermarkt, Manchester United is at the top of the list of net spenders, followed by Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, and Liverpool, while City is placed at the seventh position. During this period, Brighton & Hove Albion are the only Premier League team to have made a profit overall.
“As we have won the past because we have spent a lot, now six teams have to win Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup as they spend more,” Guardiola stated. “These are facts, not opinions.”
City purchased Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guéhi for a total of £84 million in January, while their overall expenditure during the last three transfer windows amounts to £442.9 million. On the other hand, player sales that include Julián Álvarez have significantly contributed to the club’s financial health.
Moreover, Guardiola jokingly said he felt “grumpy” that his club was not numero uno in the money-spending table, a comment which was generally interpreted as his answer to continued criticism of City’s recruitment strategy. At the same time, City are going through a period of transition as captain Bernardo Silva is in the last few months of his contract, and there could be changes both on and off the pitch.
