The reasons for Manchester City’s winter spending spree

0€. This is the amount spent by Manchester City to strengthen the squad of its first team over the last six winter transfer windows. Certainly, the cityzen club recruited several players during this winter window, but they were always relatively inexpensive young players who joined the team later or were loaned out immediately, like Claudio Echeverri, Maximo Perrone or Julian Alvarez. The last “real” winter transfer of the Cityzens dates back to January 2018, when the club broke the bank to attract Aymeric Laporte for 65 million euros. Since then, it has been dead calm, and Manchester City has therefore not accustomed us to taking out the checkbook during the month of January.

But this winter, Manchester City is in the oven and at the mill. As exclusively revealed in our columns, the reigning English champion will treat himself to Abdukodir Khusanov, the defender of RC Lens, as well as Oumar Marmoush, the sensation of Eintracht Frankfurt. Two operations which, in total, will far exceed 100 million euros. Vitor Reis, talented central defender from Palmeiras, could also arrive, while the name of Martin Zubimendi (Real Sociedad) comes up insistently, even if it would a priori be more for this summer. Other recruits cannot be ruled out, especially if the departure of Kyle Walker were to be confirmed.

More proactive than reactive

How can we explain this sudden winter madness? Well obviously, the first explanation is obvious: the team is not doing well and needs to be strengthened. There is no need to return to the disastrous series experienced by Pep Guardiola’s team at the end of 2024, from which it emerged somewhat following its two consecutive successes in the Premier League. Then there is the problem of injuries, in defense in particular, with John Stones out and already absent several times this season, and Ruben Dias who is also coming out of injury.

There is also a desire to prepare for the future. The squad seems to be reaching the end of the cycle and several major players from recent years such as Kevin de Bruyne or İlkay Gündoğan could bow out, and the sporting management of the Mancunian team does not want to be caught off guard. Anticipation has always been one of the pillars of the project. Then, the last reason which could be described as slightly conspiratorial but which is often put forward in the English media in recent days leads us to this famous trial of the century which pits the club against the Premier League. The latter accuses Skyblues of having circumvented around a hundred rules, with possible financial embezzlement and hidden investments, and risks heavy sanctions. Including a demotion, but also a ban on recruiting… The Cityzens could therefore simply be anticipating a possible ban on acquiring new players during the next transfer windows by recruiting in abundance now. See you in February for the verdict…