Sources: South American VIPs jet in for Man City talks after £255m reveal
Representatives from Man City parent company City Football Group recently held a summit with South American broadcast chiefs, sources have told Football Insider.
The exact nature of the meeting, which is believed to have taken place at the Etihad Campus, is not known.
But CFG have expanded their influence in South America of late with the acquisition of historic Brazilian side Bahia.
They also own Uruguayan Primera Division side Montevideo Torque and have a strategic partnership with Bolivar, Bolivia’s most successful club.
The group has a substantial scouting presence on the continent which has given them an advantage in funnelling the best young players to its portfolio of 12 clubs.
Gabriel Jesus and World Cup winner Julian Alvarez are examples of talents that have switched Brazil and Argentina for Manchester, while countless other rising stars have moved from South America to CFG’s other outposts.
An industry source told Football Insider that the purpose of the organisation’s talks with media companies may have been to discuss co-branded opportunities or content ventures with CFG’s South American players.
CFG are universally seen as trailblazers in this field, and the expansion of their media department has helped Man City and the football network at large record eye-watering commercial income in recent years.
Commercial income rivals payments from TV companies as Man City’s biggest revenue stream, a dynamic which among English clubs is matched only by Man United.
The reigning Premier League champions banked £271.7m from sponsorship and merchandising in the most recent financial year, while media payments accounted for £254.8m of their total turnover.
In other news, pundit claims Josko Gvardiol could be taking “big risk” by joining Man City after journalist’s update.