‘Far behind Arsenal, Chelsea, United, Spurs and Liverpool’ – Guardiola on Man City’s January spending | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola dismissed suggestions that Manchester City’s January transfer splurge was because of the possibility of the punishment of a transfer embargo.

City are locked in a legal battle with the Premier League, who have accused them of breaching their financial rules, which the club denies.

January saw Man City splash out around £180m on new signings, bringing in Omar Marmoush, Vitor Reis, Abdukodir Khusanov and Nico Gonzalez.

But Guardiola defended the spending and says the club were able to do so because of their recent player sales.

Asked if the spending was because of a possible transfer embargo coming, Guardiola said: “I don’t agree.

“But my words will not convince.

“Just to let you know, in the last three years in net spend, we are the last one in the top six. Even after what we spent in this transfer window.

“We are away from Chelsea, United, from Arsenal, Tottenham, even from Liverpool, for the reason that we sell a lot in the last seasons.

“But even with that, I know in this club it’s just about the money.”

Guardiola also says he is expecting to hear the verdict from the independent panel as to whether the club have been found of any wrongdoing in around a month.

“It will be soon,” he said. “I think in one month, the verdict and the sentence and then after we will see my opinion about what happened so far.

“Every club can do whatever they want. Everyone can spend if you have the money.

“Winning what we won, we are behind the top six teams (in net spend). I’m sorry for the comments but that’s why I don’t agree.”

It comes as City have launched a fresh, separate legal challenge against the Premier League over new rules governing sponsorship deals which the club claims are “void”.

An independent arbitration panel found some parts of the league’s Associated Party Transaction regulations were unlawful after a lawsuit instigated by City last year but in November, changes to the rules were voted through despite opposition from the reigning champions.