City are facing 115 charges over alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules, with a hearing into the case currently underway. Liverpool legend Carragher has since engaged in a heated debate with a City fan over the source of their success in recent years, and said it was “absurd” that they had bigger revenues than Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United and many others.
He said on The Overlap: “When I look at the teams that bring in the most money, and I see City above Real Madrid, Barcelona and Man Utd… it’s absurd. No matter how successful Manchester City are, it can’t happen. It’s impossible.”
“Impossible” income
Some of the allegations against City claim that the club’s owners used inflated sponsorship deals to help fund transfers and hide player salaries. In fact, in early 2023, a Deloitte analysis revealed that City were the highest-grossing team in football – ahead of the mighty Madrid. While Los Blancos have since overtaken them, the Cityzens are ostensibly one of the most lucrative clubs in the world. Whether they did so fairly or not will be revealed in this ongoing trial.
Amid the uncertainty over what punishment, if any, City will face, Pep Guardiola’s side return to Premier League action on Saturday in an early kick-off away to Newcastle United.
