Pep Guardiola hits back at Manchester City spending critics with net spend argument | OneFootball

Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola has hit back at critics of his side’s spending over the last seasons, during a mammoth transfer window in terms of cash spent by rival clubs.

As Guardiola prepares his team for their first Premier League home match of the new season against Tottenham, the focus has once again shifted towards financial matters off the pitch.

While City have been a lightning rod for criticism surrounding investment in the market, this summer has seen spending levels across the Premier League rise to record-breaking levels, with rivals such as Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester United making major waves.

The City manager’s words come at a time when scrutiny around Financial Fair Play remains a talking point, particularly as Guardiola has already been outspoken this month about squad sizes and fixture congestion.

His latest comments suggest a broader defence of City’s strategy, framing their business not as reckless, but as sustainable and built upon calculated sales. With several players such as James McAtee and Callum Doyle having already departed permanently, the club are once again in the process of balancing their books.

Guardiola’s defence also reflects a long-running narrative that City’s dominance over the last decade has often been accompanied by claims of financial advantage, but the Catalan coach continues to stress that success has not come without responsibility.

Speaking to the media during his pre-match press conference ahead of Manchester City’s opening home contest of the new season, Guardiola was first quizzed on the record-breaking spend across the division during the ongoing summer transfer window.

“If the clubs spend it’s, because with the strict Financial FairPlay rules, because they can do it. And yeah, apparently it’s not just Man City, right,” Guardiola hit back.

When asked whether the increased spend at other clubs gives him a feeling of vindication over criticism targeted at City, Guardiola said, “Absolutely not! I know they do it to us [criticise Manchester City’s spending], but I will not be in that game.

“Everyone does what they believe is the best for the team, and I know our net spend in 10 or 11 years is amazing – just take a look. I know it’s just, ‘Spend! Spend!’ No, the question is if you spend, it’s because you sell. Otherwise you cannot spend.

“So we have been really good in that term, just take a look if you are interested, it has been really good. That’s why we have been sustainable, and of course there are rules that we have to defend and protect.”

The Manchester City manager added, “And if this season we spend more for the reason of injuries, the World Cup, but in the previous season we didn’t spend almost few, few, few because we had a team that was the Champions and was stable, and the reason why it happened was because we had a lot of injuries.

“But every club does what they want! We spend a lot, right. And net spend is fantastic. And we won. This business is the fact if you win, right? And the people spend to win, at the level that you can.

“But in this league, for many reasons, we have more resources to do it, and if they do it it’s because they want to try – and we’ll see on the pitch what happens!”

Pep Guardiola’s words may add fuel to the ongoing debate over spending power in the Premier League, particularly as Manchester City continue to weigh up potential outgoings.

Ederson’s future, for example, remains uncertain amid Galatasaray interest, while Manuel Akanji and İlkay Gündoğan have also been linked with moves away to the Turkish champions. Should any of these players depart, it would lend further weight to Pep Guardiola’s argument that City’s spending is supported by sales.

Looking ahead, Guardiola’s defence of City’s approach could also be read as a message of reassurance to supporters. With the season only just underway, he will want the focus to return quickly to the football itself – starting with Saturday’s clash against Tottenham.

A strong performance at the Etihad Stadium would certainly shift the narrative back onto the pitch, underlining his point that, in the end, success is judged by results rather than financial accounts.

In the broader picture, Pep Guardiola’s latest comments also signal that this is an argument he is not ready to let go of. With rivals now outspending Manchester City in certain areas, the manager is keen to ensure the narrative shifts away from his club being the sole focus of financial scrutiny.