Manchester City spend six-figure sum on luxury farewell gift for Txiki Begiristain | OneFootball

Officials at Manchester City have signed off on Txiki Begiristain’s exit from the club with a special luxury gift for the legendary sporting director.

Begiristain’s influence at City has been monumental since arriving in 2012, helping to transform the club’s recruitment structure and oversee the assembly of Pep Guardiola’s dominant squads.

The now 61-year-old played a key role in bringing in elite signings such as Kevin De Bruyne, Erling Haaland, and Rodri among a multitude of other stars, as well as orchestrating the exit strategies that ensured smooth transitions for long-serving players.

His departure this summer marked the end of an era in Manchester City’s modern history, at a moment of broader leadership changes within the Etihad Stadium following Pepijn Lijnders’ arrival into Guardiola’s backroom staff and Carlos Vicens’ move into management with Braga.

Txiki Begiristain’s exit, however, represents arguably the most significant shift yet, raising questions about how Manchester City will handle long-term squad planning, and even further into the future, life beyond Pep Guardiola.

Just as Manchester City supporters reflect on Begiristain’s legacy, the club’s hierarchy moved to ensure his contribution was recognised in a fitting way, following a wider pattern of the club showing loyalty and gratitude to key figures in the recent past.

According to a new report from The Sun, Txiki Begiristain was gifted a £280,000 Bentley Continental GT by Manchester City in the club’s sky blue colour as a parting present for the much loved former sporting direct.

It is revealed that City officials had gifted the 61-year-old the luxury vehicle prior to the victory against Manchester City at a special ceremony held at the City Football Academy, celebrating his time at the club.

The report details that the car also has Spanish plates and is left-hand drive, allowing Begiristain to drive it in Spain, while a top end Continental GT boasts a V8 engine with 771 bhp, a top speed of 208 mph, and can do 0-60 mph in 3.1 seconds.

The timing of the gift underlines Manchester City’s commitment to maintaining strong ties with their former executives, many of whom remain respected figures across European football.

Txiki Begiristain, who has previously been linked with advisory roles back in Spain, could yet influence the game from afar, although for now he appears set to enjoy a well-earned break after more than a decade of relentless success in Manchester.

Looking ahead, Manchester City’s next challenge will be ensuring stability in the recruitment and sales departments mastered and controlled by Begiristain, with such strategy overseen by Hugo Viana since the start of the last summer transfer window.