Manchester City are used to making big money from player sales in the transfer window but that does not look to be the case this year
Pep Guardiola hugs James McAtee
Pep Guardiola hugs James McAtee(Image: 2024 AMA Sports Photo Agency)
Manchester City have splashed the cash this year but are trailing previous seasons for money received in transfer fees. Not that it matters too much in their overall financial picture, but the Blues are used to getting serious money for at least one of their stars each summer.
In 2024 it was Julian Alvarez who commanded a club record transfer of £64m that could rise to £82m, while the year before that the relatively untested Cole Palmer was the most expensive exit at £42.5m. Going further back, Raheem Sterling (£50m in 2022), Ferran Torres (an initial £46.7m in 2021) and Leroy Sane (an initial £44.7m in 2020) have all ensured that City have got big sums for their players when there has been a deal to be had.
This summer, it feels less certain that City will get one of the big sales they are used to - even as they try and offload a number of high-profile players. Kyle Walker can only give City a maximum of £5m with his permanent move to Burnley this summer, with the upfront fee minimal.
There hasn't exactly been a bidding war for Jack Grealish after it was made crystal clear that he could leave the club this summer, and Kalvin Phillips has a fraction of the reputation he enjoyed when City signed him for £45m back in 2022. A number of first team stars who could fetch a hefty fee, such as Ederson, have pledged to stay and those remaining who could move do not seem likely to command a lot - unless Nico Gonzalez pushes hard.
There has even been disappointment in the emerging talent pool, with a £25m fee that was expected for midfielder Maximo Perrone shrinking to half of that once negotiations with Como had been concluded. As it stands, it does not seem as though there will be a big fee from the current academy crop.
Unless Nico Gonzalez pushes hard for a move, that likely leaves the biggest sale for the club this summer hanging on the young shoulders of James McAtee. The Under-21 European Championship winner looks the most likely to achieve a sale for a fee that could be north of £25m and even creep up towards Palmer money.
That would be a statement from the player in a season where he struggled to make enough of an impression on Guardiola. The manager regretted not playing him more, but still left him out of the last three matchday squads and then allowed him to skip the Club World Cup.
"Always when I see McAtee or Nico [O'Reilly] or Rico [Lewis] I always think why I didn't allow them in this bad season to play minutes? Always I will regret a bit myself because there are players who deserved more minutes because when they played the impact was really good," he said towards the end of the campaign.
"But sometimes seeing the tough moments it puts a lot of pressure on them. Maybe it's wrong, because the young players know the environment and the style and that's why it's easy."
Kevin de Bruyne - special edition ON SALE NOW
Kevin de Bruyne is one of - if not the - greatest players to play for Manchester City.
He leaves the club having won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, five League Cups and a memorable Champions League victory!
To mark his amazing time at the Etihad Stadium, this special edition has been produced - KDB The King - to celebrate Kev's career with the Blues. We look back at his 10 best games in Blue, celebrate his title wins and hear from the City boss and a host of team-mates and football elite who give their views on what makes him so special.
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