Manchester City’s chief football administrator Brian Marwood claims this summer’s huge spending spree will be the club’s last.
City spent over £100 million in signing Jerome Boateng, David Silva, Yaya Toure, Aleksandar Kolarov, Mario Balotelli and James Milner in the transfer window. The outlay took Sheikh Mansour’s total spend since his takeover in 2008, to £500 millio.
City recently announced financial losses of £121 million for the year and if City want to meet UEFA’s new financial regulations from next season they will need to rein in their spending.
Under UEFA’s new rules clubs will be allowed to lose no more than €45 million for the next three seasons and must then break even if they want to play in the Champions League.
“This club has gone from 10th in the Premier League two seasons ago to just missing out on qualifying for the Champions League last season, and now including players with the quality of Yaya Toure and David Silva. We’ve kind of crammed 10 years’ work into 12 to 18 months. Now the intensity of signing players is levelling off, allowing this group to develop.” Marwood told The Guardian.
“We have fast-tracked a lot; we need to put the structure in place. We talk about elite development, the academy, because that is the foundation. That is the future for Manchester City.”
Marwood believes the spending has left City with a young, deep squad that will need only minor alterations for years to come.
“We sat down with Roberto Mancini in February-March and planned our summer programme,” he said. “The people here were on the list. There is a balanced strategy. English players and young players. Other than Yaya they are all young developing players.”
Toure, along with Patrick Vieira, are the only exceptions to a policy of buying young rising stars.
“The feeling was we needed players of presence, quality, with a winning mentality to bring that culture to the club,” Marwood said. “Patrick and Yaya have that. Micah [Richards] for example, is an emerging young player. To have him alongside Patrick, Yaya, Kolo [Toure] every day, in the changing room, on the pitch, is invaluable.”
Yaya Toure agreed a reported £220,000-a-week salary when he joined from Barcelona, but Marwood insists he is value for money.
“Yaya can play centre-midfield, centre-half, attacking midfield, defensive midfield, he’s a quality player. When we knew he was available, it was a no-brainer.”
He added: “Everybody has become obsessed with what footballers are earning. We are comfortable where we are.”
