Which Clubs Benefited From Manchester City's Transfer Spending During Financial Rule Breaches?

Posted : 03 October 2026

Manchester City's transfer spending between 2009 and 2018 sent substantial sums to clubs across Europe and beyond. According to BBC Sport, the English club spent approximately £1.2 billion on new players during the period, with a net transfer expenditure of around £900 million. The spending took place during the period covered by the independent commission's findings on City's financial rule breaches.

The commission found that Manchester City had breached financial rules between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons. It concluded that the club used misleading commercial agreements to inflate revenue and reduce costs. City denied wrongdoing and subsequently appealed the verdict, arguing that the findings contained errors.

During the period, Manchester City paid transfer fees to 46 clubs across 19 national league systems. English clubs received the largest share, accounting for just over a quarter of the total transfer expenditure. The club signed players from eight Premier League sides and eight La Liga teams, while also completing deals involving clubs in other major European leagues.

Arsenal were among the clubs that supplied the most players to City during the period, with four transfers. Other significant transactions involved Wolfsburg, Monaco, Benfica and Porto. These deals brought considerable revenue to the selling clubs, although their long-term sporting and financial effects varied.

Wolfsburg received a substantial fee for Kevin De Bruyne in 2015. The German club subsequently signed Julian Draxler for approximately half the amount it received, alongside other players, including defender Dante. Wolfsburg's league position declined from second to eighth in the Bundesliga after De Bruyne's departure, and the team narrowly avoided relegation in the following two seasons.

Monaco also experienced difficulties after selling Benjamin Mendy and Bernardo Silva to Manchester City in the same summer. The French club signed Terence Kongolo and Keita Baldé as part of its efforts to replace the departing players. However, Monaco struggled to maintain its previous form, moving from winning Ligue 1 and reaching the Champions League semi-finals to facing relegation concerns within two years.

Manchester City's spending also benefited clubs that were not directly involved in the transfers. Sell-on clauses allowed previous clubs to receive portions of later transfer fees. Queens Park Rangers earned approximately £9 million from Raheem Sterling's 2015 move from Liverpool to City. Barnsley received around £7 million from John Stones' transfer from Everton in 2016, while Wolves collected approximately £2.5 million when Joleon Lescott joined City in 2009.

These payments provided significant financial boosts to the clubs involved. Barnsley had not recorded a higher player sale than the amount received for Stones at the time of the report. However, the financial gains did not guarantee long-term sporting success. QPR failed to return to the Premier League, while Barnsley dropped from the Championship to League One after two seasons.

The wider effects extended to clubs that did not receive transfer payments from City. Benfica and Porto received similar amounts from Manchester City during the period, while Sporting CP did not benefit from direct transfer deals. Sporting failed to win the Portuguese league between 2009 and 2018, although several factors influenced the club's results.

Manchester City's spending also influenced transfer valuations across the football market. Its willingness to pay substantial fees and offer high wages contributed to rising player prices, affecting clubs beyond those involved in direct transactions.

The financial impact of the spending remains difficult to measure. While some selling clubs received record-breaking fees and improved their financial positions, others struggled to replace departing players or translate transfer income into sustained success. The long-term consequences of the spending continue to form part of the wider debate surrounding the Premier League's financial regulations and Manchester City's appeal.

Which Clubs Benefited From Manchester City's Transfer Spending During Financial Rule Breaches?

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