‘I’m Waiting’—Pep Guardiola Openly Challenges Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Man Utd

Guardiola also had a message for his own club after Manchester City spent £84 million on two new players during the January transfer window.

Pep Guardiola was in fine form in front of the cameras. | Naomi Baker-UEFA/Getty Images

Despite an extravagant January window, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was at pains to point out that his side boasted just the seventh-highest net spend among Premier League clubs over the last five years.

With a mischievous glint in his eye, the Catalan coach said that he would be “waiting” for these six clubs to rack up the honours his side have routinely collected over the same period.

Going back to the start of the 2021–22 season, Manchester United have the biggest net spend (outgoing fees minus incoming fees) of any Premier League club, closely followed by Arsenal and Chelsea, then Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Liverpool.

Only one Premier League club in the last five years has traded players at an overall profit, with Brighton & Hove Albion coming out £2.38 million better off in net transfer spend.

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Highest Premier League Net Transfer Spending—Last Five Years

Club	Net Spend	Season Average
Manchester United	£675 million	£135 million
Arsenal	£663.7 million	£132.7 million
Chelsea	£651 million	£130.2 million
Tottenham Hotspur	£574.1 million	£114.8 million
Newcastle United	£424.5 million	£84.9 million
Liverpool	£420.6 million	£84.1 million
Manchester City	£396.2 million	£79.2 million
Nottingham Forest	£327.3 million	£65.5 million
West Ham United	£317.6 million	£63.5 million
Crystal Palace	£201.4 million	£40.3 million

Data via Transfermarkt.

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Hitting back at the narrative that Manchester City’s spending automatically makes them title favourites and anything less is failure, Guardiola claimed there should be more pressure to win major silverware on the six higher net spenders.

“Like we won in the past because we spent a lot, now six teams have to win the Premier Leagues, Champions Leagues and FA Cups because they spend more in the last five years,” he stated.

“These are facts. It’s not an opinion. Good luck to the six teams who are in front of us for net spend for the last five years. Let’s go. I’m waiting.”

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‘Grumping’ Guardiola Applies Lashings of Sarcasm

Pep Guardiola hasn’t had everything his own way recently. | Michael Regan/UEFA/UEFA/Getty Images

During his appraisal of this half-dozen big spenders, Guardiola also said that he wants Manchester City to splash more cash with what appeared to be a healthy dose of sarcasm. This may have been a pointed response to what he considers unfair criticism aimed at the club for their aggressive and expensive recruitment.

City finished the January transfer window with two new signings—Antoine Semenyo, Marc Guéhi—at a combined cost of £84 million ($114.9 million). Overall spending on players over the last three windows alone going back to January 2025 stands at £442.9 million.

That said, expensive sales—including Julián Alvarez to Atlético Madrid—and steady cashing in on academy graduates has brought considerable money back into the club as well.

“I’m a little bit sad and upset because in net spend the last five years, we are seventh in the Premier League. I want to be the first, I don’t understand why the club don’t spend more money. I am a little bit grumpy with them,” Guardiola told assembled media on Tuesday.

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More Change Is Coming to Man City

Bernardo Silva is into the final months of his contract. | Naomi Baker/UEFA/Getty Images

Manchester City continue to go through a period of transition which could ultimately include Guardiola himself leaving the club as soon as the end of this season.

There has been change higher up, with former Newcastle midfielder Hugo Viana recently replacing Txiki Begiristain as sporting director and prolific recruiting contextualised by the departures of veteran players like David Silva, Nicolás Otamendi, Sergio Agüero, Raheem Sterling, İlkay Gündoğan (twice), Riyad Mahrez, Aymeric Laporte, Ederson and Kevin De Bruyne since 2020.

Bernardo Silva, after nine years of service and 14 major trophies, could be next to go.

The City captain is out of contract at the end of this season and, having long been linked with a departure since first becoming unsettled during 2020’s COVID-19 pandemic, is now nearing what appears to be his likely exit. Fabrizio Romano stated on DAZN that Silva is set to “leave” in 2026.

The 31-year-old midfielder, who would be a free agent and have clubs lining up for his signature, has been most heavily linked with Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and former team Benfica in recent months and years.

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