FM22 Man City guide: Budget, squad analysis and path to Champions League glory

Football Manager 2022 arrives on November 9, and Manchester City will almost certainly be among the first saves thousands of players load up. The appeal is obvious: you get to manage one of world football's richest clubs, command a transfer budget of £100 million in your first season, and attempt something the real club has never managed—win the Champions League. The game itself is the most granular football simulator available, detailed enough that real clubs use its data to scout players. For City, that means access to a squad built on elite talent, youth prospects, and the resources to reshape it however you see fit.

Your first meeting as manager happens with Ferran Soriano, City's managing director, who walks you through the club's history, reputation, facilities, and what the board expects from you. The media prediction is straightforward: first place in the Premier League. But Soriano's real message comes through the club's five-year plan. You're expected to sign youth players to develop and sell for profit, maintain England's most reputable club status, and work within the wage budget of £300,000 per week. By the end of the 2022/23 season—your second year—you must win the Champions League. Your contract expires after 2023/24, though the board wants you continuing to qualify for Europe's top competition through 2025/26.

The squad you inherit is smaller than you might expect: 21 players total, split across three goalkeepers, eight defenders, nine midfielders, and just one natural striker. But the quality is concentrated. Kevin De Bruyne carries a vision rating of 20 out of 20 and crossing of 19 out of 20, with technique, passing, and decision-making all at 18. Ruben Dias, last season's Premier League player of the year, has 15 attributes rated 16 or higher, anchored by bravery and natural fitness at 18 and stamina, determination, leadership, positioning, tackling, and marking all at 17. Aymeric Laporte, De Bruyne's defensive partner, is valued between £101 million and £127 million, with nine separate attributes rated at 16 out of 20—heading, marking, anticipation, composure, concentration, decisions, positioning, vision, and jumping reach.

The younger tier offers both promise and immediate complications. Phil Foden has broken into the first team and is now one of City's most valuable players, with first touch, technique, and agility all at 17 out of 20. Filip Stevanovic, currently on loan at SC Heerenveen in the Netherlands, is flagged as a bright prospect. Kayky, 18 and in the U23 squad, carries extreme potential. The U23s themselves—Gavin Bazunu, Liam Delap, Cole Palmer, Tommy Doyle, Dario Sarmiento—represent the depth of the academy system. But when you start your save, both Foden and De Bruyne will be injured. Foden is out for up to three months; De Bruyne for a couple of weeks. You'll be managing around your two best players from the opening day.

The tactical framework your staff recommends centers on Gegenpress, Tiki-Taka, and Vertical Tiki-Taka, though you're free to deviate. The squad's strengths cluster around technique, decision-making, vision, creativity, off-the-ball movement, agility, finishing, work rate, and acceleration. The weaknesses are more specific: strength, jumping reach, and aggression. Once you've chosen your formation and player roles, you'll move into the real work—setting up your coaching staff, scouts, and club infrastructure. Your second season budget drops to £50.81 million, almost half your first-year allocation. The challenge is clear: build something sustainable while chasing immediate silverware, develop youth for future profit, and do what Manchester City has not yet done. The question is whether you can.