The treble-winning Manchester City convincingly secured a spot in the Champions League Round of 16 with a victory over Serbian club Crvena Zvezda on the final Matchday 6. Emerging as group winners, they are now poised to defend their title in the knockouts.
In Pep Guardiola’s star-studded squad of serial winners, certain players persist with limited opportunities, including Kalvin Phillips who earned a rare start in UCL on Wednesday. Notably, he’s not alone in this situation. Forward Slobodan Tedić is another prominent name on the list, currently lagging behind in terms of playing time.
Who is Slobodan Tedic?
Slobodan Tedic, the Montenegrin-born Serbian striker, made a move to the Etihad from Serbian club FK Čukarički in 2020 in a nearly $3 million transfer at the age of 19. He signed a long-term, five-year deal with the Premier League champions.
Despite arriving before Manchester City’s star striker Erling Haaland, the Serbian hasn’t made a single appearance for the Blues. Tedić has spent his entire tenure as a loanee since joining the Premier League side. Slobodan Tedic is on a season-long loan spell at Charlton Athletic, a League One club in the third tier of English football.
In fact, upon his arrival, Guardiola’s squad was stacked with renowned names like Sergio Agüero, Gabriel Jesus, Riyad Mahrez, and Leroy. In such a talented group, it is quite evident, why Slobodan Tedić failed to garner attention and became one of the forgotten names at the Etihad.
Currently, at 23 years old, Tedic has the final years of his contract remaining. It seems unlikely for him to return to the Etihad as a player that the Spanish boss can rely on to compete with Julian Alvarez and Haaland for a spot in the team.
Pep Guardiola becomes first manager to surpass $2 billion in transfers
The Man city boss Pep Guardiola is recognized as one of the foremost managers in soccer, lauded for his immense success in leading clubs. One of the key factors contributing to his accomplishments is credited to impactful transfers, supported by financial backing from the clubs. His triumph at City serves as a clear illustration of this success pattern.
According to Transfermarket, Guardiola has earned the distinction of being the first manager in the history of the sport to exceed the $2 billion spending mark on transfers, surpassing Jose Mourinho, who holds the second position on the list.
Other notable figures on the list of managers with the highest transfer expenditures include names such as Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti, Jurgen Klopp, Maximilian Allegri, Mauricio Pochettino, and Diego Simeone, all having exceeded the billion-dollar mark at their respective clubs.
