'Grumpy' Pep Guardiola launches sarcastic rant about Man City transfer activity after £84m January spend

Manchester City Training Session And Press Conference - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD8

Pep Guardiola has sarcastically claimed he wished Manchester City would spend more money after they splashed £84m ($114m) in the January transfer window on Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo. City have invested more in new players than any Premier League club for the second consecutive winter transfer window but Guardiola was at pains to point out that six teams have a higher net spend over the last seven years.

City spent £485m in last three windows

City made a splash by signing Semenyo from Bournemouth for £64m early in January and followed it up by bringing in Guehi for £20m to bolster their defence after losing Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol and John Stones to injury. It took City's total spending over the last three transfer windows to £485m. The club also brought back Sverre Nypan from his loan deal at Middlesbrough while Kalvin Phillips left on loan for Sheffield United. City recouped some of the money spent by selling Oscar Bobb to Fulham for £27m.

City spent the highest amount in the January transfer window in the Premier League, followed closely by Crystal Palace splurging £83m on Brennan Johnson and Jorgen Strand Larsen. The Eagles had the highest net spend in the division, totalling at £63m compared to City's £57m.

The day after the transfer window shut, Guardiola was asked whether City's sporting director Hugo Viana deserved more credit for pulling off the deals for Semenyo and Guehi. And the coach gave an unexpected answer.

Pep Guardiola

Guardiola: I wish club spent more money

Guardiola told a press conference: "I am a little bit sad and upset because our net spend in the past five years we are seventh in the Premier League. I want to be the first so I don't understand why the club has not spent more money. So, I am a little bit grumpy with them. But to be in that position that we were in, in the past was because we spent a lot and now the other six teams have to win the Premier League and the Champions League and FA Cups because they have spent more in the past five years. 

"This is a fact, it is not an opinion. You can say an opinion is if we played good or bad against Tottenham. So we can agree or disagree but that is facts so good luck for the six teams in front of us in the net spend for the last five years. Let's go, I am waiting."

Man Utd top five-year net spend table

Guardiola was referring to a new table released which showed that Manchester United have the highest net spend over the last five years, calculated at -£684.6m. Arsenal were second on -£675.7m, Chelsea third on -£662m, followed by Tottenham on -£578.8m, Newcastle on -£430.6m, and Liverpool on £423.7m. City were ranked seventh on -£397.7m

Carabao Cup trophy

City plotting to reach Carabao Cup final

City host Newcastle on Wednesday in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final tie, holding a 2-0 lead. Guardiola's side won the trophy in four consecutive years between 2018 and 2021 but have not made it to the final since. The coach said he will wait and see whether Rayan Cherki will be available after sustaining a knock in the 2-2 draw with Tottenham on Sunday. He also revealed that Ruben Dias has returned to training after suffering a muscle injury at the start of the year, but Jeremy Doku has not yet resumed training after injuring his calf against Galatasaray.

Guardiola added: "We have the chance to make our fifth final in ten years in the Carabao Cup. Of course it was a good result [in the first leg]. I would prefer to start 2-0 up but I know perfectly Eddie Howe and the many times we have played against Newcastle, the pride they have and being a Champions League team so we need to be prepared and see how the players recover after a tough game with Spurs. We want to play our game for our people and our fans and try to reach Wembley in March."