It is no secret that this year’s Champions League finalists are like chalk and cheese. The newly-crowned Premier League champions have benefited immeasurably from the boundless wealth of their owners, while the Italians prefer to remain aloof in the transfer market, picking up bargains and placing trust back in the hands of players who have perhaps struggled elsewhere. Ahead of the biggest date on the football calendar, we are comparing Manchester City vs Inter Milan spending habits in recent years to uncover just how large the disparity is between the two finalists.
- Manchester City have spent over €200m more on transfers than Inter Milan over the past five seasons.
- The Italians net spend ranks outside the top 50 highest across Europe within that time frame.
Manchester City’s march to the summit of European football is almost complete, 15 years after the Abu Dhabi United Group’s monumental takeover.
For a side who had endured some truly dismal years yo-yoing between divisions, a 15-year turnaround is nothing short of miraculous, even with the astronomical sums their owners have injected into the club.
Take Chelsea for example. Not even the largest single-season transfer expenditure could prevent them from their second-worst Premier League finish this year.
Nevertheless, Manchester City have had over a decade to calibrate and fine tune their sporting project, without the fear of limitations or the threat of slowing down. In fact, they may well have pushed the letter to its absolute maximum if the Premier League’s accusations of 115 breaches in relation to financial rulings ever come to fruition.
This looming threat has the potential to tarnish what has been an unprecedented period of success, but there is no denying a masterful approach to on and off field management has made the Cityzens the biggest disrupter to the establishment.
Since Pep Guardiola’s arrival, their neighbours Manchester United actually boast a net spend nearly double that of City’s, which is a startling reminder that, yes, they have unlimited resources at their disposal, but also that no team has a full-scale top-to-bottom project that remotely resembles what they have built.
They head to Istanbul this weekend with the possibility to claim a historic treble – a feat only achieved in England by United 24 years ago – and complete a full set of major trophies in what will be the crowning moment for this unfolding dynasty.
It is easy to forget that there is another team lining up on the opposite end of the pitch, and while City enter the final as heavy favourites, Inter Milan have all the European pedigree and prestige that their opponents can only hope to emulate.
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Manchester City vs Inter Milan Spending Compared
Not many, if any, would have predicted Inter to be here.
Their run to this year’s final is made all the more miraculous when you consider their transfer dealings over the past five seasons.
Using figures supplied by Transfermarkt, the Italians have dropped a grand total of €501m within that time frame. Although this may sound like a considerable amount, and it is out of context, this ranks them all the way down in 14th when comparing Europe’s elite clubs.
Chelsea meanwhile lead the way having spent €1.23 billion since 2017, while Manchester City rank in fifth having spent a total of €708m.
Over €200m separates this year’s Champions League finalists which is to be expected, but it is worth delving deeper into what makes Inter Milan’s campaign such an overwhelming, and unexpected success.
Take their starting line-up against AC Milan in the second-leg of their semi-final for example. Not only was it filled with a potent blend of exciting youth and previously perceived has-beens (average age just over 28), but the XI cost just €114m.
When you consider the current climate of inflated fees, that figure might only get you one player in the case of the top eight most expensive transfers.
It is also worth noting that across the past five seasons, their total net spend is just €47m – this is less than the likes of Brighton and Leicester, and ranks them outside of the top 50 for largest net spends within that time frame.
Manchester City vs Inter Milan Squad Values Compared
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