Man City critics must understand that Pep Guardiola cannot rule transfers with an iron fist

Manchester City are an extremely powerful football club, with the silverware and financial resources to prove it.

The Blues have won four of the last five Premier League titles and are now among the favourites to win the Champions League, while off the pitch they topped the 2022 Deloitte Football Money League, a ranking of the highest revenue-producing teams.

However, that does not mean that City, whether that be under the stewardship of Pep Guardiola on match day or in the board room under the leadership of Khaldoon Al-Mubarak, can do whatever they please.

That reality must come as a surprise to some of City's critics, who have concocted the myth that City are some evil force hell-bent on world domination and hoarding all the best players. The narrative that City possess the ultimate power has resurfaced in connection with Raheem Sterling's future.

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Sterling looks set to join Chelsea in a deal reported to be worth an initial fee of £45m, a move that would make him the second attacker to leave the club this summer. Gabriel Jesus recently joined Arsenal for £45m, meaning that City's offence could look quite different in 2022/23.

In an ideal world, City would have kept both - Guardiola is a huge admirer of both players but various factors dictated that sales had to - and likely will - happen.

Both forwards' contracts were set to expire in 2023, meaning that this summer represents the last chance for City to earn transfer fees anywhere near the duo's real value. Suitors would have had the bargaining power if negotiations took place in January, as both could have left for nothing upon the expiration of their contracts.

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