Author: Chandra Moulee Das
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola emphasized that his team would be subjected to an unprecedented level of scrutiny if they spent in a way comparable to Chelsea. This statement follows significant spending by the London club under Todd Boehly, with the latest acquisition being Romeo Lavia for 53 million pounds, bringing the total spending to over 850 million pounds since last summer.
Chelsea’s current activity in the transfer window has seen them invest approximately £323 million in eight players, outstripping all other European clubs in spending. Remarkably, this investment also broke the previous world record for the highest summer transfer value, previously held by Real Madrid with £292 million in 2019.
“What I’m saying is that if we do that, we’ll be dead. It’s easier for Chelsea than it is for us. I have no criticism, they can do whatever they want. But we would be under scrutiny like you can’t imagine” said Guardiola.
Under Boehly’s leadership since May 2022, Chelsea’s cumulative transfer spending has reached £857.3 million, while Manchester City’s spending during the same period was £233.2 million. Despite comparatively lower spending, Manchester City has faced persistent scrutiny since its takeover by Sheikh Mansour in 2008. They are currently facing charges from the Premier League for 115 cases of breaches of financial rules. In 2020, similar allegations related to Financial Fair Play were brought against them, resulting in a two-year ban from European competitions. However, the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned the ban after an investigation by UEFA.
Although Manchester City’s spending has been tighter than Chelsea’s, the club is now considering its options due to the injury to midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, who will be sidelined for up to four months due to a hamstring injury. Guardiola praised City’s historic approach to transfers, highlighting their commitment to paying what he considers to be “fair” value for players.
Recent cases include Manchester City giving up their pursuit of Harry Kane and Declan Rice due to the exorbitant transfer fees associated with them.