Pep Guardiola has suggested that he was puzzled by the Manchester City’s financial caution and admitted the situation had left him feeling “grumpy.”
City ended January with two major additions, bringing in defender Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace for £20m and securing Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo in a deal worth £64m at the start of the month.
Those moves followed a busy summer in which the Sky Blues reshaped large parts of the squad, recruiting Gianluigi Donnarumma, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki, James Trafford and teenage prospect Sverre Nypan.
Yet Guardiola, preparing his side for the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Newcastle United, jokes that he believes the club should have gone further.
Asked about the role played by new sporting director Hugo Viana in the January business, the Spaniard initially offered warm praise before turning his attention to the broader picture.
Despite Manchester City’s financial caution, the club remain among the Premier League’s biggest investors. Guardiola, however, argued that the numbers do not place them at the summit of the division’s spending table – a position he feels City should occupy.
When questioned about Viana’s contribution to landing Semenyo and Guehi, Guardiola replied simply: “Really good.” His tone then shifted as he delivered an assessment of City’s financial strategy.
He said: “I am a little bit sad and upset because the net spent the last five years, we are seventh in the Premier League.
“I want to be the first. I don’t understand how the club don’t spend more money so I am a little bit grumpy with them.”
Guardiola went on to compare City’s position with that of other leading English sides, suggesting greater investment should translate into greater expectations.
“But with the position like we were in the past, because we spent a lot, now six teams have to win the Champions League and Premier Leagues and FA Cups because they have spent more in the last five years.
“This is a fact. You can say opinions like ‘you played good’ or ‘you played bad’ – we can agree or disagree but those are facts.
“Good luck to the six teams that are in front of us in net spend over the last five years. Good luck, we are waiting.”
Despite the January reinforcements, City have undergone significant change over the past year.
Last summer saw a number of established figures depart the Etihad, including Jack Grealish, Ederson, Ilkay Gundogan and Manuel Akanji.
Veteran full-back Kyle Walker was also allowed to move on in a cut-price transfer, while several academy graduates were sent out on loan to gain experience.
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Those exits helped offset an outlay of around £152m during the close season, leaving City seventh in the Premier League’s net-spend rankings with a figure of £99m.
By comparison, Arsenal led the way with £246m, followed by Liverpool on £228m. Manchester United, Tottenham, Sunderland and Everton all recorded higher net totals than the Cityzens.
Over a longer timeframe, however, City remain one of Europe’s most spenders. Data compiled by Transfermarkt shows the club have invested approximately £950m on new players since 2021, second only to Chelsea’s extraordinary £1.5bn.
United sit just behind City in third, while Tottenham and Arsenal complete the top five.
The acquisition of Guehi and Semenyo was intended to address specific weaknesses in defence and attack, yet Guardiola hinted he would have welcomed even greater backing as the season enters its decisive phase.
City remain in contention on several fronts, but their domestic form has been inconsistent compared with the standards set during previous title-winning campaigns.
