Adam Williams – Head of Football Finance and Governance Content for GRV Media – has now shared an interesting update on the City Football Group (CFG).
Manchester City are the flagship club under this umbrella, but the CFG also own Girona, New York City, Troyes and many other sides across the planet.
Manchester City
Manchester City Women
Girona
Girona Femeni
Palermo
Palermo Women
Troyes
Lommel
New York City
New York City II
Mumbai City
Melbourne City
Melbourne City Women
Yokohama Marinos
Shenzhen Peng City
Montevideo City Torque
Bahia
Adam Williams has now provided TBR Football with an update for Manchester City fans on who the CFG could buy next – suggesting a possible Scandinavian swoop.
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Exclusive: City Football Group backed to purchase a club in Scandinavia
City AM recently revealed that the CFG are not interested in the opportunity to increase their 20% stake in Yokohama Marinos.
Expanding on that story while offering a suggestion on who the CFG could buy next, Williams said: “City Football Group have owned Yokohama Marinos since 2014. Back then, the multi-club ownership system was largely unheard of beyond City and Red Bull.
“The rationale was that interest in Japanese football was growing and it made sense to have an outpost there, both in terms of spreading the commercial brand and scouting – as well as nurturing – talent in the region. The fact that Nissan are majority owners of Marinos also gave City’s Abu Dhabi owners the chance to develop a business relationship with one of the region’s biggest corporations, which probably helped too.
City Football Group agree deal with Nissan
Photo credit should read TORU YAMANAKA/AFP via Getty Images
“The fact that they aren’t interested in taking full control of the club probably tells you that, while the project wouldn’t be deemed a failure by any stretch, further investing in Japanese football isn’t an A1 prospect right now.
“The last club City bought was Bahia in Brazil. In that deal, they got a foothold in a football market with huge scale, huge domestic interest and huge access to youth talent. With the real titans of the multi-club industry, it’s those type of clubs that they are increasingly looking at.
“If I had to take a bet on where City Football Group will take over a club next, I would say Scandinavia. Clubs there are consistently profitable and have the infrastructure and culture, which churns out world-class youth players on a regular basis.”
Young talents to have emerged from Scandinavia in recent times
If the City Football Group do purchase a Scandinavian side, recent history suggests it could help them land some potential superstars.
Erling Haaland – of course – is the poster boy for Scandinavian football at the moment, having emerged from the youth ranks at Bryne.
Martin Odegaard, Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres are also flying the flag aloft for Scandinavia.
The talented Lucas Bergvall is a more recent example, moving from Djurgarden to Tottenham in February 2024 for a sum of £8m and since becoming an important player for Spurs at the age of just 19.
Manchester City have signed Sverre Nypan – currently on loan at Middlesbrough – to pounce on the Norwegian market, so the City Football Group clearly have eyes on Scandinavia already.