When stressed or sad, many people like shopping, sometimes buying even things they do not need, as that makes them feel better. This phenomenon is known as “shopping therapy” or “retail therapy.” Well, something similar happened with Man City, as the Cityzens faced an unprecedented crisis during the first half of the season, and they probably looked forward to the recently finished January Transfer Window. After all, the champions of England were pronounced the biggest spenders in football, as they splashed out €218 million euros in the past 34 days.Biggest spenders in the January transfer window: The unlikely 10The Cityzens added six new players: Omar Marmoush, Nicolas Gonzalez, Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis, Juma Bah, and Christian McFarlane, but there could have easily been seven new names in a locker room at Etihad. One experienced player, very well known to Pep Guardiola, got an invitation to join the Spaniard’s crew but rejected his former coach and teacher. Sergio Busquets said no!❗️Pep Guardiola attempted to sign Sergio Busquets on a short-term basis, but the player rejected the offer from Man City. @Daily_Express pic.twitter.com/DLcrjpKvRx— Managing Barça (@ManagingBarca) February 4, 2025 Yes, you read it right – Guardiola allegedly invited the 36-year-old midfielder to join him at Etihad on a short-term deal, but Busquets was not interested despite their rich mutual history. Namely, the two started their cooperation back in 2007, when Pep coached and Busquets played at Barcelona B. Afterwards, they spent four years together with the Catalans’ first team and won 14 trophies together, including La Ligas and two Champions Leagues.##NAJAVA_MECA_8684011##Regardless, Pep’s move seems rather shocking. On the one hand, everyone knows that form is temporary and class is permanent, so the Spaniard could have been a valid reinforcement for the Cityzens, especially since he knew Guardiola’s demands and style. However, on the other hand, he’s been far from European (and thus, top-notch) football since June 2023 when he joined Barca’s “little colony” at Inter Miami. So the right question is, do desperate times indeed call for desperate measures, and is Guardiola so desperate that he would “put his eggs in a 36-year-old’s basket.”
