Manchester City’s parent company, the City Football Group, has made Girona the sixth club of its widening portfolio, after confirming a deal to purchase a major stake in the newly promoted Spanish side.
The terms give City a 44.3% share and an identical holding to Girona Football Group, the agency owned by the City manager Pep Guardiola’s brother Pere. The remaining stake is owned by a Girona fans’ association.
Girona are playing in La Liga for the first time in their 87-year history after promotion last season, having reached the play-offs in three of the previous four campaigns. The clubs said negotiations began last year and that Girona’s “on- and off-field potential, together with a positive academy track record” played a significant part in bringing the deal to fruition.
City already had close links with the Catalan team, having loaned them five players this summer: Pablo Maffeo, Aleix García, Douglas Luiz, Marlos Moreno and Larry Kayode.
A statement announcing the agreement said Girona would “benefit from City Football Group’s extensive networks in infrastructure, coaching, recruitment, youth development and executive leadership in addition to its global media, marketing and commercial capabilities”.
Ferran Soriano, CFG’s chief executive officer, said: “Girona is a club whose actions have spoken loudest in terms of its ambitions. It has quietly and with great determination and humility achieved promotion to La Liga which is, itself, an incredible achievement. It has also done so whilst playing good football.
“The club’s continued ambitions to achieve sustained La Liga status and success while applying those same qualities and behaviours is an ambition we share at City Football Group and the opportunity to invest in the future of Girona was compelling. We will listen and learn, and do whatever is necessary to support the club and its fans in achieving the long-term sustainability they rightly desire.”
Pere Guardiola said: “Together, we are confident that we will give the club the backing it seeks, whether the support comes in the form of executive, financial or leadership help.”
The acquisition of Girona, who defeated City 1-0 in their friendly in Catalonia last week, is the latest move in CFG’s strategy of global expansion.
Since Sheikh Mansour bought City in September 2008 his Abu Dhabi-based CFG has acquired the start-up MLS franchise New York City FC, the Australian A-League side Melbourne City, Japan’s Yokohama F Marinos, Club Atlético Torque in Uruguay, and now Girona.
It means CFG is represented in the Premier League and La Liga, Europe’s richest, as well as on four other continents: Oceania, Asia, North America and South America. City are also two years into a five-year agreement with NAC Breda that involves their players being loaned to the Dutch club.
CFG is now considering buying a team in China. Two years ago a $400m (£256m) investment from the Chinese consortium CMC, which bought 13% and that valued CFG then at $3bn, was announced.
Speaking in December 2015 City’s chairman, Khaldoon al-Mubarak, said: “Football is the most loved, played and watched sport in the world and in China the exponential growth pathway for the game is both unique and hugely exciting. We have therefore worked hard to find the right partners and to create the right deal structure to leverage the incredible potential that exists in China, both for CFG and for football at large.”
Meanwhile, City remain watchful of Alexis Sánchez’s situation at Arsenal. Arsène Wenger has repeatedly stated the Chile forward is not for sale yet Guardiola is continuing to monitor the player, as the final week of the summer transfer window approaches.
The head coach is also still targeting a centre-back. West Bromwich Albion’s Jonny Evans is an option though City may have to sell Eliaquim Mangala or Wilfried Bony before making a second bid for the Northern Irishman, after an £18m offer was rejected by the Midlands club.
Swansea City, who sold Bony to City for £28m in 2015, have offered £10m to buy back the 28-year-old and as the club’s valuation is around £13m an acceptable price for the striker may yet be agreed.
Celtic are favourites to take Patrick Roberts on loan again, after the 20-year-old City forward spent the last 18 months there on a temporary basis, during which he scored against City in last season’s Champions League group stage.