Guardiola: Manchester City would be 'killed' if they spent like Chelsea

City boss takes aim at double standards in coverage of the Premier League champions

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has been discussing Chelsea's lavish spending. PA

Manager Pep Guardiola says Manchester City would be “killed” if they indulged in the level of spending seen at Chelsea in the last year.

Guardiola argues the club have always spent responsibly, as opposed to the huge outlay made by the Todd Boehly-led ownership at Stamford Bridge, where the arrival of former City academy player Romeo Lavia this week took their spending to almost £1 billion since the club changed hands.

“I couldn’t sit here if we spent what Chelsea spent in the last two transfer windows – you would kill me,” Guardiola said. “You will kill me, that is for sure. We’d be under scrutiny like you couldn’t imagine.

“When people say just Manchester City and Pep Guardiola buy players, I didn’t know I had a lot of money in my pocket to buy all the players I have.

“We have to see what happens in the market and if we can do it and to pay what we believe is fair.

“We wanted [Harry] Maguire and didn’t buy him because we didn’t want to pay, we wanted [Marc] Cucurella and didn’t pay, we wanted Alexis Sanchez and didn’t pay.

“In the end we will pay what is fair to do it. Otherwise, we have the academy.”

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  Manchester City players celebrate with the trophy after defeating Sevilla to win the UEFA Super Cup at the Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus, Greece, on Wednesday, August 16, 2023. EPA

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  Manchester City's Kyle Walker holds the UEFA Super Cup trophy. PA

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  Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and Erling Haaland with the Super Cup trophy. PA

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  Manchester City's Erling Haaland and manager Pep Guardiola after winning the Super Cup in Greece. PA

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  Manchester City's Jack Grealish scoring during the penalty shootout in the Super Cup match against Sevilla. AFP

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  Jack Grealish and Rodri celebrate Manchester City's Super Cup win. Getty

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  Manchester City players celebrate after winning the penalty shootout. Reuters

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  Erling Haaland after scoring in the penalty shootout. AFP

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  Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson punches the ball away. AFP

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  Sevilla's goalkeeper Bono makes a save. AP

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  Cole Palmer scored the equaliser for Manchester City to force a penalty shootout. Getty

Guardiola was eager to stress he was not being critical of Chelsea, more the coverage his club receives regarding financial matters.

“They can do what they want,” he added. “I don’t criticise Chelsea for one second. I’m saying, if we do it, we are dead, all around the world. They can do whatever they want…

“If they want to spend, I don’t know, £900million since [Boehly] arrived, 900 more, 900 more. They have it. The business is the business. They sell a lot this season so they can do it.

“I don’t like when they criticise me, what we do, what I have to say. Everyone has their own business and everyone does what is best for the club.

“Everybody wins. Tell me the truth: are you enjoying a lot the transfer window? This player, the other one, every few minutes on Sky TV, a new player here, new player there. It’s so funny.”

Meanwhile, with Kevin De Bruyne needing surgery on a hamstring injury, Guardiola said he was in dialogue with director of football Txiki Begiristain about signing a replacement.

“We maybe need to add someone else,” Guardiola said. “My opinion is I like a small squad. But the blow from Kevin changes the perspective. He is a very important player and it is not one or two weeks.

“It’s four or five months, he’s 32 years old and he needs to be physical because of the way he plays physically. So we have to reflect a bit on the squad and think about what we have to do but we have to control.

“But we are not the only ones spending a lot of money in the last few years.”