Inside Man City's 650,000-player data machine

Manchester City have opened up the data operation driving their squad rebuild — a system built on one question: what does it take to win?

Manchester City

team

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Club

Manchester City

Database

650,000 players

Focus

Recruitment and sales

Record

Five wins from five

What happened. BBC Sport was given unprecedented access to Manchester City's data department, which has been central to the club's squad rebuild over the past 18 months. The team's work is built around the question 'what does it take to win?', split into identifying players, evaluating them and assessing how they could be improved.

City's metrics last season flagged Arsenal as title favourites — and they were right
The club now keeps its projections private after five wins from five league games
A core aim is reducing risk on every transfer purchase and sale