Following Pep Guardiola's departure, Man City witnessed an exodus of numerous players, leading to a record-breaking summer in transfer revenue. This figure more than doubled this summer, reaching 421 million USD. The appointment of Enzo Maresca, delayed longer than expected due to some lingering legal issues with Chelsea, accelerated the rebuilding process that Guardiola had initiated.
Among the 11 first-team players who left the Etihad this summer, 5 had joined Man City less than two years ago. Savio became Man City's highest-priced player sale in history, moving to Tottenham for 116 million USD. Tijjani Reijnders (to Al Qadsiah for 68,9 million USD) and Rodri (to Barca for 88,5 million USD) also entered the top 5 most expensive player sales in the club's history. Expanding the list to the 10 largest deals, Nico Gonzalez also featured, joining Newcastle for 65,5 million USD.
 |
Savio (right) and Omar Marmoush both left Man City to join Tottenham this summer. Photo: Tottenham |
Another notable deal was James Trafford's move to Leeds for 55 million USD, making him the most expensive English goalkeeper in history. Meanwhile, Omar Marmoush joined Tottenham on loan with a mandatory purchase clause, subject to conditions, with a fee set at 67,9 million USD. Man City also parted ways with John Stones and Bernardo Silva on free transfers, sent Kalvin Phillips to Sheffield United on loan, and sold Manuel Akanji to Inter Milan for 17,6 million USD, and Nathan Ake to Fenerbahce for 9,5 million USD.
Man City spent 320,6 million USD on new signings this summer. Only Chelsea (465,7 million USD) and Tottenham (414,2 million USD) spent more. Most of the funds were used by the Manchester club to rebuild its midfield. They recruited Elliot Anderson for a club-record fee of 153 million USD and Ayyoub Bouaddi for 110 million USD from Lille.
 |
Elliot Anderson controls the ball during Man City's 4-1 victory over Crystal Palace in the second round of the Premier League, at Selhurst Park, London, England on 28/8. Photo: Man City |
Maresca appears eager to continue, despite positive signs emerging from the 4-1 victory over Crystal Palace in the second round of the Premier League. Allan, a winger from Palmeiras, is set to fill the void left by Savinho after Man City reached an agreement worth 46,8 million USD. Meanwhile, Enzo Fernandez could become a "blockbuster" signing in the final days of the transfer window. Man City has reached a personal agreement with the Argentinian midfielder but still needs to finalize a fee with Chelsea, who seek over 160 million USD.
The arrival of billionaire Sheikh Mansour in 2008 marked a new chapter in Man City's history. Since then, the Manchester club has won eight Premier League titles and their first Champions League trophy. To build this empire, the Etihad Stadium owners spent 3,97 billion USD in the transfer market, second only to Chelsea (4,52 billion USD). In fact, during Guardiola's final years, Man City gradually became a model for selling players to reinvest in new signings. Since the summer of 2022, the club has generated over 117 million USD each season from player sales. The club set the previous record in the 2022-2023 season, with 189,4 million USD.
Hong Duy (according to Marca)
