Manchester City would have gone bust if they hadn’t sold one of their players.
Abu Dhabi’s wealth and Pep Guardiola’s leadership have elevated City to one of the most successful clubs in recent times, with an FA Cup, Champions League, and Premier League treble achieved in the 2022/23 season.
However, the situation at the club was markedly different before Sheikh Mansour’s takeover in 2008.
Stuart Pearce became Manchester City’s manager in 2005 after a successful stint as caretaker, but his two-year tenure was marred by numerous off-field problems.
The club was in such a state of disarray that Pearce stated City might not have survived if they hadn’t sold Shaun Wright-Phillips. Pearce shared with talkSPORT: “During my time as Manchester City manager, I managed the final nine matches of the season. I was fully aware of the club’s financial situation—it was essentially bankrupt.”
“Two weeks before the season began, the chief executive summoned me on a Friday and said, ‘We’ve received a £21 million offer from Chelsea, which will be paid in cash on Monday. If you don’t sell him, we’ll go bankrupt as a club.’”
Pearce approved Wright-Phillips’ transfer to Chelsea and emphasized that transparency was crucial for addressing the club’s dire situation.
“I understood even before that conversation that the club’s needs came before anyone—myself, the chief executive, or anyone else,” he explained. “It was essential for me to communicate the reality of the situation to the supporters, letting them know, ‘This is where we are right now; we have no money as a football club.’”
“We had to sell Nicolas Anelka six months ago, and now we’re selling Shaun Wright-Phillips, but the club must stay afloat and remain in the Premier League.”
