List full of stars

Due to crisis: ManCity plan merciless major purchase

Pep Guardiola(Bild: AFP or licensors)

Manchester City have lost seven of their last ten competitive matches! That's never happened before under coach Pep Guardiola - and it won't happen again in 2025. That's why the English champions are already planning a major attack on the transfer market this winter.

Several stars are set to give Man City new impetus. The top priority is to sign a replacement for the injured Ballon d'Or winner Rodri following his cruciate ligament rupture. The top candidates are reportedly Atalanta's midfield strategist Éderson with a market value of 40 million euros and Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle with a market value of 85 million euros.

In addition, fresh blood - the best youngsters in Europe, so to speak - are to be brought to Manchester in order to be prepared for the coming years. Spain's European Championship hero Nico Williams from Bilbao, aged 22 and with a market value of 70 million, is Guardiola's preferred player. But Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong (24) is also an issue - market value 50 million euros.

Nico Williams(Bild: AFP/APA/Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV)

New annual report allows it
How will the club, which is already under scrutiny, afford this? The Citizens' figures have recovered. According to the new annual report, the club recorded revenue of 715 million pounds (around 860 million euros) up to and including June 2024 and a profit of 73.8 million pounds (around 94 million euros). Salary costs have also fallen from £422 million to £412 million (the equivalent of €497 million). 

In addition, the sales of Julián Alvarez, Joao Cancelo and Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Sergio Gomez and Tommy Doyle compared to just one purchase (Savinho for 25 million euros) resulted in a transfer plus of 116 million euros. Yes, and there are also the investors from the Middle East ...