£265m deal can help bid to lure Guardiola

windfall will be reinvested into City’s China expansion rather than being used directly to strengthen the first-team squad. The message it sends will also help City lure a coach from the top bracket such as Pep Guardiola and star signings. Sheik Mansour had no particular interest in diluting his stake in the parent company — even though a 13 per cent holding gives the Chinese limited power overall — having rejected a number of approaches. However, after six months of negotiations with the consortium headed by media mogul Ruigang Li, the offer was too good to refuse. Li will become the seventh member of the CFG board and new shares will be issued. But Li, who is the chairman of the two companies — China Media Capital and Citic Capital — that make up the consortium, will play no part in City’s day-to-day matters. City are expected to explore launching a franchise in China. The CFG already comprises City and affiliated teams in New York and Melbourne, as well as a stake in Yokohama Marinos.