Manchester City Strengthens Squad Amid Transfer Activity

Manchester City made headlines in January by signing Semenyo from Bournemouth for £64 million, followed by the acquisition of Guehi for £20 million to fortify their defense after injuries sidelined Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, and John Stones. This brought the club’s total spending over the last three transfer windows to an impressive £485 million. Additionally, City recalled Sverre Nypan from his loan at Middlesbrough, while Kalvin Phillips was loaned to Sheffield United. The club recouped some costs by selling Oscar Bobb to Fulham for £27 million.

During this transfer window, City recorded the highest expenditure in the Premier League, closely followed by Crystal Palace, who spent £83 million on Brennan Johnson and Jorgen Strand Larsen. Notably, Palace also achieved the highest net spend in the league, totaling £63 million compared to City’s £57 million.

In a press conference the day after the transfer window closed, Guardiola was questioned about whether City’s sporting director, Hugo Viana, deserved more recognition for orchestrating the deals for Semenyo and Guehi. Guardiola’s response was unexpected. He expressed disappointment regarding City’s net spend over the past five years, stating, “I am a little bit sad and upset because our net spend in the past five years we are seventh in the Premier League. I want to be the first, so I don’t understand why the club has not spent more money. I am a little bit grumpy with them.”

Guardiola emphasized that the club’s historical spending had contributed to their current competitive position, noting, “This is a fact, it is not an opinion.” He mentioned Manchester United leading the net spend rankings with -£684.6 million, followed by Arsenal (-£675.7 million) and Chelsea (-£662 million). City stood seventh at -£397.7 million.

Looking ahead, City will host Newcastle in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on Wednesday, with the team holding a 2-0 lead. Guardiola’s side had previously won the trophy four times in a row from 2018 to 2021 but has not reached the final since. He mentioned the potential availability of Rayan Cherki, who sustained an injury during the recent draw with Tottenham, and confirmed that Ruben Dias has returned to training after a muscle injury earlier this year. However, Jeremy Doku has yet to resume training following a calf injury sustained against Galatasaray.

Guardiola added, “We have the chance to make our fifth final in ten years in the Carabao Cup. Of course, it was a good result [in the first leg]. I would prefer to start 2-0 up, but I know perfectly Eddie Howe and the pride Newcastle possess as a Champions League team. Therefore, we need to be prepared and monitor the players’ recovery after a tough match with Spurs. We aim to perform well for our fans and strive to reach Wembley in March.”