Guardiola’s rain of millions shoots up

38 signings have been made at the Etihad Stadium since Pep Guardiola’s presentation as cityzen coach in July 2016. In six years, the Mancunian entity has spent more than a billion euros to impose its dominance, sporting and financial, in the Premier League. Four times the sky-blue team has won the league in this period in which they have won as many League Cups and an FA Cup. City has finished establishing itself among the greats of English football. Gone is its neighbor, Manchester United, as well as Londoners Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham. Only Liverpool follows in the wake of the sky-blues, who have not managed to transfer their power from the domestic to the continental section.

Jack Grealish tops the list of the club’s most expensive transfers. The midfielder arrived last summer from Aston Villa after the Mancunians paid more than 115 million euros. Grealish has not yet had the impact that such an expensive transfer is supposed to, but in Manchester they have patience. They trust that the 26-year-old footballer will end up settling in Guardiola’s eleven sooner or later. Rúben Dias, Joao Cancelo or Rodri are other of the most recent and expensive signings of the entity in recent years. Three signings that have become part of the backbone of City. This summer, Erling Haaland (60 million euros + 40 in variables), Stefan Ortega Moreno (free) and Kalvin Phillips (52 million) have been the last to arrive at the Etihad Stadium dressing room.

A summer at 0 cost

Other footballers whose impact on the pitch has been less have helped balance accounts. Without going further, hours before announcing the hiring of Phillips, Manchester announced the sale of Gabriel Jesus to Arsenal for 52 million. Same amount used in the transfer of the former Leeds United midfielder. Also, the possible transfer of Raheem Sterling to Chelsea would make hiring Haaland even more profitable. This same year, Ferran Torres returned to La Liga after Barcelona paid 55 million euros, 22 more than what City paid to Valencia in the summer of 2020. The sky-blues get the bills, and despite the millionaire invested, they could end up closing the summer at zero cost.