Guardiola claims Man City would face serious competition from Chelsea’s spending

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has expressed his belief that if his club were to spend as much money as Chelsea on new signings, they would face severe consequences. Guardiola defended his team’s spending under Sheikh Mansour’s ownership, which has frequently been questioned and resulted in numerous Premier League charges for alleged financial breaches. In contrast, he criticized Chelsea’s significant expenditures, with the club having spent close to £1 billion in the past year.

Guardiola emphasized the impossibility of City matching Chelsea’s spending, stating that such a scenario would lead to his downfall. He highlighted the misperception that City and himself possess unlimited financial resources to acquire any player they desire. Instead, he reiterated the need for fair market practices and cited instances where City refrained from overpaying for players like Harry Maguire, Marc Cucurella, and Alexis Sanchez.

Despite his comments, Guardiola clarified that he was not criticizing Chelsea directly. However, he did express a sense of unfair treatment, arguing that Chelsea can spend freely without facing extensive scrutiny like City would. Guardiola acknowledged the nature of the football business, acknowledging that Chelsea’s successful sales allow them to invest heavily in signings.

While expressing dissatisfaction with Chelsea’s spending, Guardiola humorously commented on the entertaining nature of the transfer window and the continuous arrival of new players. Nevertheless, he admitted that City may need to seek additional signings due to Kevin De Bruyne’s long-term absence following a hamstring injury.

Guardiola concluded by emphasizing that City is not the only club that has spent significant amounts of money in recent years and that the blow of losing De Bruyne has altered their transfer window plans.