Man City Signs 10-Year Deal With Uruguayan Football Club El Torque

Man City’s "quest to enlarge its global footprint and find new stars" has led to the billionaire-owned team signing a "10-year accord with a little-known Uruguayan club, an official for the South American team said," according to Tariq Panja of BLOOMBERG. The pact means Man City will take control of El Torque "for a longer period than the second-division club has been around." El Torque Secretary Pablo Nikitov said that club officials "had agreed not to disclose financial details," and Man City declined to comment on the agreement. In addition to its first team, El Torque has five developmental squads. The investment in El Torque could help Man City "save millions in transfer fees and help the club get around restrictions on signing non-European athletes and juniors." Man City’s investment will help El Torque, formed in Dec. '07, with its "push to reach the top division." It currently plays before a crowd of around 250 people, "about 200 times fewer than the number that flock to watch" Man City (BLOOMBERG, 4/3).