Manchester City fans have been hit with the sad news of the end of the tenure of transfer chief, Txiki Begiristain, at the club.
Begiristain joined Pep Guardiola in moving to Manchester City almost a decade ago and helped the Catalan manager transform the club’s identity into that of champions who are worthy of being called one of the best clubs in the world.
In a surprising turn of events, the Spaniard will be leaving the club at the end of the season for other things which means that Manchester City will be tasked with finding a transfer chief who can match his amazing achievements at the club.
Begiristain initially planned to leave the day-to-day running of football when he turned 55 but extended it to 60, which he turned this year. He will now oversee his replacement and the transition from himself to another executive who the club hopes can match his achievements.
Reports also suggest that that replacement has been found and that the unknown figure is expected to start in early 2025.
Guardiola has previously lavished praise on his director of football, who has been by his side throughout his success in LaLiga and the Premier League. He said: “Txiki has been massively important at this club. He was here before I arrived and was stable in the club. He has been really important in these years and part of the enormous success we’ve had in terms of results and many things, he has been so important.”
“I do ask him to take responsibility with the media, talk a bit, but he’s so shy. He wants to be behind the scenes so all the shots and the weapons are directed to me. But it was the same in Barcelona. He’s a close friend and we’ve known each other 25 or 30 years. He’s calm and that balance helps us work perfectly together.”
Meanwhile, City will continue their legal battle with the Premier League.
The latest development from that front is how the Premier League have rejected a summary sent by City’s lawyer, Simon Cliff, which accused the league of misleading the other Premier League clubs on the facts of the case.
Both City and the Premier League claimed partial victories on Monday at the tribunal and will continue to lock horns until a winner emerges.
It is important to note that one of the punishments that the Cityzens could face is the stripping of a few Premier League medals and a consecutive points deduction for a period of five seasons, which will place them at a handicap in title races.
