Nashville: Manchester City are back on Uefa’s financial watch list after their 220 million pounds (Dh1.06 billion) spending spree this summer. City and Paris St-Germain were fined for breaching Uefa’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules three years ago and the two clubs’ activity in this summer’s window is now being scrutinised again.
Pep Guardiola could take his spending to around the 300-million-pounds mark if he manages to sign 60-million-pounds-rated Colombia forward Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal and bring in another centre-half. City are also prepared to rival Real Madrid for the 161 million pounds purchase of Monaco striker Kylian Mbappe in the event they cannot persuade Arsenal to sell Sanchez, a move that would push their spending closer to 400 million pounds.
PSG have spent only 13.5 million pounds so far on left-back Yuri Berchiche from Real Sociedad and brought right-back Dani Alves in on a free transfer from Juventus. But the French club are prepared to break the world transfer record by meeting the 196 million pounds release clause in Brazil forward Neymar’s contract with Barcelona.
Both City and PSG have to tread carefully because a second breach of FFP would leave them open to more severe punishment from Uefa, including a ban from European competition.
City, who spent more than 170 million pounds in the transfer market last summer, recorded a 20.5 million pounds profit on record revenues of 391.8 million pounds for the 2015/2016 season.
Clubs can be granted special dispensation to run up bigger losses than those allowed under Uefa guidelines but that does not apply to teams punished in the past three years under FFP and another significant outlay by City before the August 31 transfer deadline is likely to invite deeper investigation.
This week, Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho called on Uefa to get tough and claimed FFP had “big work to do because probably there are some strategies of disguise”.
“We don’t make a distinction, all clubs are treated in the same way,” said Andrea Traverso, who heads FFP.
“PSG and Manchester City have been punished, but I can tell you Inter Milan and Roma have been restricted too.
“It’s been a long time since 2014 when the rules had just been introduced. Now, everyone knows them well. PSG are no longer under those restrictions, but that doesn’t mean they can start to do what they want.
“They must respect financial fair play regulations, just like everyone else in Europe. They must show they can have losses that do not go beyond 30 million euros [26.8 million pounds] over three years.
“I’m convinced that everything will be done within the rules. But I understand very well that some people are asking themselves questions.”
Guardiola had ridiculed reports in March that City could sign at least six players this summer and more than a dozen leave the club by saying: “I am going to assure you it’s impossible to do that.”
But that is exactly what is materialising during a summer of huge upheaval at the Etihad Stadium that could eventually result in a turnover of up to 25 players.
City have made six signings so far with goalkeeper Ederson Moraes, defenders Kyle Walker, Benjamin Mendy and Danilo and midfielders Bernardo Silva and Douglas Luiz and want to bring in at least two more.
Ten players have been sold or released for a combined sum of 42 million pounds while Joe Hart has been loaned to West Ham United and the number of departures could swell to 18 if Eliaquim Mangala, Wilfried Bony, Fabian Delph, Fernando, Samir Nasri, Kelechi Iheanacho and Jason Denayer all go as expected as City push hard over the next few weeks to shed the deadwood.
France defender Mangala has turned down a move to Spartak Moscow but midfielder Fernando should complete a 4.5 million pounds move to Galatasaray next week and Delph and Bony could join Stoke and Swansea respectively. Iheanacho is expected to move to Leicester for 25 million pounds.
