Manchester City are set to
break ALL SPORTING spending records with their outlay this
year.
The Sunday Times says City's Middle Eastern owners are
ready to spend more than a billion dollars (£610m) on transfer fees
and wage commitments in their first year in control. The
expenditure will be the biggest one-year spend on new players by
any sports club in the world.
City are also prepared to saddle themselves with the largest
annual wage bill for a first-team squad in English football
history, reaching £120m-plus if they sign all their top targets
this summer.
The combined transfer fees of the 14 players signed by the
manager, Mark Hughes, since the Abu Dhabi United Group arrived at
Eastlands last summer, plus the potential outlay in wages over the
lengths of those players’ contracts, already amount to £455m. That
is certain to increase, perhaps by as much as £200m, within
weeks.
City’s chairman, Khaldoon al-Mubarak, has said the club will buy
up to six players this summer. With Gareth Barry, Roque Santa Cruz,
Emmanuel Adebayor and Carlos Tevez signed, City’s wish list
comprises the defenders John Terry and Joleon Lescott. They could
cost between £20m and £40m each, plus £20m to £75m per man in wage
commitments. If City fail to sign them, other high-class players
will be considered.