Manchester City broke the club transfer record with an unexpected October agreement.

Manchester City were quiet in the transfer window, but have shattered one transfer record with an autumn move that few expected to happen just yet.

Manchester City has agreed to shatter a long-standing transfer record in October, in a move that few expected.

The Premier League champions enjoyed a quiet summer, with manager Pep Guardiola indicating early in the transfer season that there would be no major changes to the squad. In recent weeks, a replacement for the injured Rodri has been mooted, while Kevin De Bruyne’s successor remains a matter of discussion.

The club is now in turmoil, with the Premier League’s ongoing investigation into Manchester City’s suspected breach of 115 regulations, Guardiola’s uncertain future, and the recent announcement that director Txiki Begiristain will quit the club, with Hugo Viana taking his place. Regardless, the city has

Manchester City has surpassed a club transfer record that was doubtful.

Julian Alvarez became Manchester City’s record sale this summer (Image credit: Denis Doyle/Getty Images).)
Manchester City spent much of the summer selling. Julian Alvarez left for Atletico Madrid in a €95 million deal that set a club record, according to the Athletic.

Other sales included Joao Cancelo’s permanent departure to Al-Hilal and Taylor Harwood-Bellis’ transfer to Southampton. Sergio Gomez and Tommy Doyle, meanwhile, left the Etihad, as did Kalvin Phillips, who was loaned to Ipswich Town, and Yan Couto, who was loaned to Borussia Dortmund with the option for the Black and Yellow to buy the Spaniard.

Yan Couto of Borussia Dortmund in action versus Celtic (Image credit: Hendrik Deckers/Borussia Dortmund via Getty Images.)
Dortmund has already exercised the option to complete Couto’s transfer. In a tweet on X (previously Twitter), transfer analyst Fabrizio Romano said the deal was for €30 million.

According to Transfermarkt, this deal raises City’s transfer income for the season to between €167 million and €171 million, taking into account this additional sale. It’s unclear whether Dortmund’s €4 million loan fee for Couto still remains now that the permanent option to sign the star has been signed off.

However, this is a record for the city. Two seasons ago, the club made €162 million in sales when they sold Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus, and Oleksandr Zinchenko – all of whom now play for Arsenal – in order to strengthen with Erling Haaland in attack.

Cole Palmer, Riyad Mahrez, Aymeric Laporte, as well as academy talents Yanel Herrera and Nahuel Ferraresi, all left for a total of €125 million last summer. In the last two years, however, City have spent €155 million and €259 million, respectively, across summer windows, with Haaland’s fee weighing down the net balance, along with expensive moves for Josko Gvardiol, Jeremy Doku, Matheus Nunes, and a €18 million deal for Argentine wonderkid Claudio Echeverri – rated 16th in FourFourTwo’s list of the

According to FourFourTwo, City’s transition to a selling club will only grow stronger over time. That is, providing that the City Football Group network continues to attract talent and the Cityzen’s world-class academy continues to produce profit-making prospects.

The club has become an elite prospect on the pitch as a result of the recruitment, but the model of earning over €100 million every summer has transformed City into a largely self-sufficient corporation that no longer requires investment from its billionaire owners. Expect the sales record to be surpassed again next season, and other Premier League heavyweights to catch on and step up their game when it comes to selling big.