Man City boss Pep Guardiola could not resist taking a dig at rivals Man United after their Carabao Cup success on Sunday.
Erik ten Hag’s side won the Manchester club their first trophy in six years despite having a net spend of £835m and when asked if Man United were back, Guardiola replied with more than a hint of irony.
The City boss stated via Sky Sports: “If they spend a little more money, yes. It’s because they didn’t spend, isn’t it?”
? "Yeah if they spend a little bit more money, because they didn't spend did they?" ?
Pep Guardiola when asked if Manchester United can become Man City's main title rivals pic.twitter.com/u57mHQbKZm
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) February 28, 2023
Man City’s net spending over the last six years is nearly half that of United’s at £478m and the recent allegations against City’s finances is the reason most likely behind Guardiola’s comments.
It has also long been a gripe of Guardiola that his team’s serial success – four Premier League titles, four League Cups and one FA Cup since the summer of 2017 – is often attributed to City’s vast outlay on players, while less emphasis is placed on the money splashed out by rivals such as Man United and Liverpool.
The Man City boss is the best manager in the sport for many and his Man City team will be among the greats when it is all said and done, but with the investigation into the Manchester club’s finances still ongoing in the background, this seems to be on Guardiola’s mind in some form.