'Man City are best out of it' - Keith Wyness reacts after Japanese deal collapses
Manchester City fans shouldn't be concerned by the City Group recently selling their stake in Japanese club Yokohama F. Marinos.
That is according to former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who has delved into what the deal could potentially mean at the Etihad Stadium.
City's owners sold their 20 per cent stake in Yokohama to Japanese car giants Nissan recently, following on from their sale of Indian club Mumbai City last December.
Wyness believes that there is no reason for concern after the two sales, and instead feels that the City Group are just trimming their portfolio somewhat.
They now hold stakes in 12 clubs worldwide, with Serie B side Palermo and Spanish outfit Girona among the headline names.
It has already confirmed that the City Group will maintain their connection with Yokohama even after the sale, something which Wyness sees as a positive move.
Man City grew fed up with 'politics' behind Yokohama F. Marinos
Everton’s former chief Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that the politics behind the scenes in Japanese football may have contributed to the City Group's decision to sell Yokohama.
The Scottish businessman has praised the group for being "very sensible" with their investments, and made it clear that this was the right time for them to "bow out."
Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider's Inside Track podcast, he delved into the reasoning behind the sale.
"There's no reason for concern at all. In terms of the Mumbai one, I spent some time over in India and saw the Mumbai set-up, and to be honest, Man City are best out of it," Wyness said.
"In Japan we know it's a vibrant scene, but I think it's all about sponsorship and the actual power structure within the football side. Man City have got their contacts there; there's going to be strong scouting networks going forward, so I don't think it was vital for them to actually own the club.
"Both are actually understandable sales. To me, it's portfolio management by the City Football Group, rather than anything else. I think it just makes sense; you can't keep on growing and growing.
"Sometimes you do have to prune back and look at new markets in different places. They're a very sensible group, and if things aren't going right, if there's politics behind it as it was in Japan, then I think sometimes you have to bow out.
"I've been watching it very closely, and it's been a fascinating experiment. It doesn't mean that there are any long-term issues in CFG; it just means occasionally some of the investments need to be re-looked at."
Enzo Maresca in Man City sales 'discussions'
Wyness previously told Football Insider that City need sales to balance their SCR standing after their big-money move for Elliot Anderson.
The Scottish businessman made it clear that new manager Enzo Maresca will have already held talks with Pep Guardiola about the future of the squad, including who could potentially be sold this summer.
Wyness emphasised that several senior players will be shown the exit door, and the club have had plans in place for that scenario for several months.
City began to regenerate their squad under Guardiola last summer, and they are now ready to pick up where they left off under Maresca.