JJ Watt Takes Swipe at Manchester City’s ‘Billion Pound Squad’ Amid 115 FFP Charges- “Burnley’s Entire History Since 1982 Costs Less”

For close to a decade, Manchester City has been the team to beat in England. Be it in style or substance, Pep Guardiola’s side has not had an equal in English soccer or even European soccer for that matter. However, despite trophies galore, there has been a reluctance to put Manchester City on par with other great teams in the past. The reason is that they have been accused of spending their way to the top. Now, NFL star JJ Watt is the latest to make a dig at the seemingly endless pile of riches at Etihad. His claim seems more grounded in reality than jealousy.

JJ Watt is also one of the owners of Burnley FC. As such he witnessed the class of Manchester City in August in his side’s season opener. The Sky Blues did win the game 3-0 and Watt did take note of the impressive Manchester City squad.

JJ Watt recalls his unforgettable moment after facing off against Manchester City

Speaking on ‘The Overlap’ podcast with the likes of Jamie Carragher, Roy Keane, and Gary Neville, JJ Watt gave his take on Manchester City’s incredible squad. As such, he revealed an incident from the above-mentioned Manchester City Burnley tie. The NFL star said, “I was at the match but somebody texted me a graphic and it said Man City’s current defenders cost this much, Burnley’s entire history since 1882 cost less. I mean and you’re sitting there watching the match and like you’re cheering for your squad and you want your boys to do good but at the same time you’re like all right I have to be a little realistic about this you know. It’s a billion-pound squad against a 100 million-pound squad.”

JJ Watt’s opinion regarding the Manchester City defense is understandable. After all, their backline of Ruben Dias ($70 million), Josko Gvardiol ($98 million), John Stones ($59 million), and Nathan Ake($44 million), did not come in cheap. This is the same with the rest of their squad as well. The likes of Jack Grealish, Rodri, and Kevin De Bruyne cost more than $65 million in transfer fees. But, the exuberant spending of the English champions did not go unnoticed. In fact, the mega transfers were one of the reasons why City handled 115 charges by the Premier League. Yet, the Sky Blues reaffirm that they did nothing wrong in the first place.

Manchester City and the 115 charges: The story so far

It was in February 2023 that Manchester City received the shocking news. The Sky Blues were alleged to have made 115 breaches of the financial rules across 9 seasons (2009-18). As a result, all of their titles under the said period are under investigation. The accusation against the club is that they are yet to disclose financial details regarding revenue and operating costs.

Read More: JJ Watt Reveals How Didier Drogba & Chelsea Inspired NFL Icon for Burnley Ownership

As a result, suspicions have risen about their financial sources. Moreover, the club has yet to reveal remuneration details during Roberto Mancini’s time at the club. The English champions have denied the accusations and have appointed Pannick KC to defend them in court. Amusingly, even after more than a year since the accusations, the club is yet to have a court hearing. It is also worth noting that the topic was completely ignored in Manchester City’s recently released documentary.

What is your opinion on JJ Watt’s comments on Manchester City? Let us know below.

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