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Model updated: 12 Sept 2026
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Manchester City

Squad · 2026/27 spending-room estimate

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Manchester City squad, player by player

Per-player wages are gross fixed salaries from public sources, or a labelled estimate where no salary is published. Fees are reported transfer fees where one is in evidence. This table is a decomposition: the squad-cost estimate on the Briefing stays anchored to the club's own accounts, and the difference is stated here rather than hidden.

Annual squad cost (player rows)
£480m

Ledger total for 32 players. The club's accounts-anchored squad cost is £566m.

How this is calculated
sum of 32 rows: wages £275m + amortisation £205m = £480m club squad cost (accounts-anchored) = £566m

What the named players cost in a year on the ledger's own figures. The club's squad-cost test uses the accounts-anchored figure, which this table decomposes rather than replaces.

  • Wages (reported salaries plus bounded estimates)£275m · 57%
  • Annual transfer-fee cost£205m · 43%

The three most expensive players carry £123m, 26% of the ledger total. Wages are 57% of it; the rest is past transfer spend still being written down.

Reconciliation: the rows account for £275m of the £344m wage line and £205m of the £196m amortisation charge; the residuals (£69m and -£9m) are stated below the table, never absorbed.

Wage distribution
£9m mean

Median £8m. Estimated wages are shown as ranges in the table.

How this is calculated
mean = £275m / 32 players = £9m median = £8m

Mean versus median shows how top-heavy the wage bill is: a mean well above the median means a few contracts dominate.

  • under £2m4 players · 13%
  • £2m-£5m1 player · 3%
  • £5m-£10m (7 estimated)17 players · 53%
  • £10m-£15m (3 estimated)9 players · 28%
  • £15m+1 player · 3%

Fairly flat: the mean (£9m) sits close to the median (£8m), so the bill is spread across the squad rather than concentrated in a few contracts.

22 of 32 wages are reported gross salaries; 10 are bounded PSRwatch estimates shown as ranges. None is an official figure.

Book value remaining
£982m

Unamortised transfer cost still on the books. This is not what the squad is worth.

How this is calculated
sum of remaining book value across 32 rows = £982m (annual charge x seasons left, per player)

This is not what the squad is worth. Book value is the part of past transfer fees not yet written down; a sale above it is book profit, below it a loss.

  • From reported fees (accounting run-off)£637m · 65%
  • Apportioned from the club charge (no fee in evidence)£344m · 35%

£3m of book value sits on contracts that end this season, so it either runs off or is re-based by a renewal. No loan-in players are on the ledger.

Book value on players whose fee is not in evidence is an apportionment of the club's filed charge, labelled MODELLED in the table. Loans do not pause amortisation for the club that owns the registration.

32 playersAnnual cost £480mAverage age 23.9Expiring 7On loan in 0Estimated wages 10Sorted by annual squad cost, highest first
  • Annual squad cost
    £49m
    Wage
    £27m
    Annual transfer-fee cost
    £21mapportioned
    Book value
    £171m
    Contract
    8 seasons left
  • Annual squad cost
    £39m
    Wage
    £10m-£20mest
    Annual transfer-fee cost
    £24m
    Book value
    £122m
    Contract
    5 seasons left
  • Annual squad cost
    £36m
    Wage
    £13m
    Annual transfer-fee cost
    £23m
    Book value
    £113m
    Contract
    5 seasons left
  • Annual squad cost
    £29m
    Wage
    £8m-£17mest
    Annual transfer-fee cost
    £16m
    Book value
    £80m
    Contract
    5 seasons left
  • Annual squad cost
    £23m
    Wage
    £7m-£15mest
    Annual transfer-fee cost
    £12m
    Book value
    £59m
    Contract
    5 seasons left
  • 26 · EnglandModel a sale
    Annual squad cost
    £21m
    Wage
    £15m
    Annual transfer-fee cost
    £7mapportioned
    Book value
    £27m
    Contract
    4 seasons left
  • Annual squad cost
    £20m
    Wage
    £14m
    Annual transfer-fee cost
    £6m
    Book value
    £25m
    Contract
    4 seasons left
  • Annual squad cost
    £20m
    Wage
    £8m
    Annual transfer-fee cost
    £12m
    Book value
    £61m
    Contract
    5 seasons left
  • Annual squad cost
    £20m
    Wage
    £13m
    Annual transfer-fee cost
    £7mapportioned
    Book value
    £34m
    Contract
    5 seasons left
  • 29 · PortugalModel a sale
    Annual squad cost
    £18m
    Wage
    £13m
    Annual transfer-fee cost
    £5mapportioned
    Book value
    £16m
    Contract
    3 seasons left
  • Annual squad cost
    £17m
    Wage
    £9m
    Annual transfer-fee cost
    £8m
    Book value
    £31m
    Contract
    4 seasons left
  • Annual squad cost
    £17m
    Wage
    £13m
    Annual transfer-fee cost
    £4m
    Book value
    £19m
    Contract
    5 seasons left
  • Annual squad cost
    £15m
    Wage
    £8m
    Annual transfer-fee cost
    £7mapportioned
    Book value
    £36m
    Contract
    5 seasons left
  • 22 · BrazilModel a sale
    Annual squad cost
    £14m
    Wage
    £5m-£11mest
    Annual transfer-fee cost
    £6m
    Book value
    £32m
    Contract
    5 seasons left
  • Annual squad cost
    £14m
    Wage
    £9m
    Annual transfer-fee cost
    £6m
    Book value
    £17m
    Contract
    4 seasons left
  • Annual squad cost
    £14m
    Wage
    £6m
    Annual transfer-fee cost
    £8m
    Book value
    £31m
    Contract
    4 seasons left
  • Annual squad cost
    £12m
    Wage
    £5m
    Annual transfer-fee cost
    £7m
    Book value
    £34m
    Contract
    5 seasons left
  • Annual squad cost
    £12m
    Wage
    £7m
    Annual transfer-fee cost
    £5mapportioned
    Book value
    £10m
    Contract
    2 seasons left
  • 17 · EnglandModel a sale
    Annual squad cost
    £10m
    Wage
    £7m
    Annual transfer-fee cost
    £3m
    Book value
    £8m
    Contract
    4 seasons left
  • Mateo KovacicCMexpiring
    32 · CroatiaModel a sale
    Annual squad cost
    £9m
    Wage
    £8m
    Annual transfer-fee cost
    £1mapportioned
    Book value
    £1m
    Contract
    expiring
  • Annual squad cost
    £8m
    Wage
    £2m
    Annual transfer-fee cost
    £7mapportioned
    Book value
    £27m
    Contract
    4 seasons left
  • Annual squad cost
    £8m
    Wage
    £5m-£9mest
    Annual transfer-fee cost
    £1mapportioned
    Book value
    £2m
    Contract
    not reported
  • Annual squad cost
    £7m
    Wage
    £4m-£8mest
    Annual transfer-fee cost
    £1m
    Book value
    £3m
    Contract
    2 seasons left
  • 20 · ArgentinaModel a sale
    Annual squad cost
    £7m
    Wage
    £5m-£10mest
    Annual transfer-fee cost
    £0m
    Book value
    £0m
    Contract
    expiring
  • Juma BahSENexpiring
    20 · Sierra LeoneModel a sale
    Annual squad cost
    £7m
    Wage
    £5m-£10mest
    Annual transfer-fee cost
    £0m
    Book value
    £0m
    Contract
    expiring
  • Annual squad cost
    £7m
    Wage
    £5m-£10mest
    Annual transfer-fee cost
    £0m
    Book value
    £0m
    Contract
    expiring
  • Max AlleyneSENexpiring
    21 · EnglandModel a sale
    Annual squad cost
    £7m
    Wage
    £5m-£10mest
    Annual transfer-fee cost
    £0m
    Book value
    £0m
    Contract
    expiring
  • 20 · Northern IrelandModel a sale
    Annual squad cost
    £6m
    Wage
    £5m
    Annual transfer-fee cost
    £1m
    Book value
    £2m
    Contract
    4 seasons left
  • Annual squad cost
    £5m
    Wage
    £2m
    Annual transfer-fee cost
    £3mapportioned
    Book value
    £9m
    Contract
    3 seasons left
  • 21 · EnglandModel a sale
    Annual squad cost
    £4m
    Wage
    £1m
    Annual transfer-fee cost
    £3mapportioned
    Book value
    £11m
    Contract
    4 seasons left
  • 34 · EnglandModel a sale
    Annual squad cost
    £4m
    Wage
    £2m
    Annual transfer-fee cost
    £2m
    Book value
    £2m
    Contract
    expiring
  • 23 · EnglandModel a sale
    Annual squad cost
    £1m
    Wage
    £0m
    Annual transfer-fee cost
    £0mapportioned
    Book value
    £0m
    Contract
    expiring

Wage labels: reported salaries are gross fixed pay from a public source; estimated wages are bounded PSRwatch ranges capped at the club's highest reported salary. Apportioned amortisation is a share of the club's filed charge, not a reported fee.

Reconciliation to the accounts£69m of wages and £9m of amortisation above the filed charge
Wages
Player rows (22 reported, 10 estimated)
£275m
Player and head-coach wage line (from accounts)
£344m
Unallocated: bonuses, employer NI, image rights, head coach
£69m
Annual transfer-fee cost
Player rows (20 reported fees, 12 apportioned, 0 free or loan)
£205m
Club charge (filed, grown forward)
£196m
Above the filed charge
£9m

A negative residual is not an error: contracts signed since the last filed year end amortise above that year's charge, which is exactly what a busy window does to a cost base. The squad-cost test on the Compliance tab uses the club figures.

Squad analysis

Amortisation wall: when past transfer fees stop being charged

£982m of book value still to be charged across 28 players. The annual charge falls below half of this season's by 2031/32. This season's £205m is 22 points of the squad-cost ratio.

Annual amortisation by season (£m)£205m2026/273 roll off£201m2027/282 roll off£195m2028/294 roll off£177m2029/308 roll off£139m2030/3110 roll off£21m2031/32£21m2032/33£21m2033/341 roll off
from reported feesapportioned from the club chargeAccounting basis; no regulatory-cap column until the rule is sourced.

Contract cliff: what expires, and the wages at stake

13% of the ledger's annual cost sits on contracts ending within two seasons. 1 player have no reported contract end. Expiring wages either fall away or must be renewed; expiring book value runs off by then.

Annual wages on contracts ending each season (£m)£39m2026/277 players£12m2027/282 players£15m2028/292 players£68m2029/309 players£107m2030/3110 players£27m2033/341 player

Age profile against cost

Average age 23.9; weighted by cost, 24.1. 3 players aged 30 or over carry £20m (4% of annual cost). 1 without a reported age.

Annual squad cost by age band (£m)£86munder 218 pl.£99m21-238 pl.£218m24-269 pl.£50m27-293 pl.£9m30-321 pl.£11m33+2 pl.

Cost concentration

Top 3
26%

£123m

Top 5
37%

£175m

Top 10
57%

£275m

9 players account for half of the ledger's annual cost. Top three: Erling Haaland, Enzo Fernández, Elliot Anderson.

Loan exposure

£27m of book value is parked at other clubs across 6 loaned-out players, still amortising £9m a year here. Loans do not pause amortisation. Their wages (£43m) stay on this ledger unless the borrowing club's share is reported.

  • Out: Claudio Echeverri to SL Benfica · £0m book value, £0m a year
  • Out: Jeremy Monga to Swansea City · £8m book value, £3m a year
  • Out: Juma Bah to FC Augsburg · £0m book value, £0m a year
  • Out: Mathys Detourbet to AS Monaco · £17m book value, £6m a year
  • Out: Max Alleyne to Burnley FC · £0m book value, £0m a year
  • Out: Pierce Charles to Queens Park Rangers · £2m book value, £1m a year

Every player links to a page with the full financial story (contract, wages, amortisation run-off, book value, transfer history). See the whole league on the players table. Want to test a sale or a signing against these numbers? Open the Manchester City calculator.

PSRwatch is independent. Figures are unofficial estimates from public filings, transfer data and PSRwatch modelling. They are not endorsed by the Premier League, EFL, UEFA or any club.