Hello City supporters,
As the senior Manchester City reporter for the Manchester Evening News, I wanted to share our intentions for the upcoming campaign. We introduced a subscription-based offering on the MEN platform back in November 2025 designed to deliver enhanced City reporting, and this year it will be expanded and improved.
The concept was that while we might produce fewer articles, each piece would be distinctive and compelling content unavailable elsewhere – essentially something deserving of your payment. We understand that some readers cannot afford to pay for journalism and that others simply will not. We have also listened to the widespread criticism regarding clickbait in the industry and – specifically for our site – excessive advertising.
We will continue to provide substantial City coverage at no cost alongside our Talking City podcast, though some of our most thoroughly researched pieces will form part of our Premium membership; if you are spending your money with us, we must deliver additional value. At £4.99 monthly, subscribers will receive several articles weekly offering perspectives on various club matters that cannot be found elsewhere. And indeed, reduced advertising – since paying customers should not have to fund advertisements.
Many of you have already enrolled, and we truly appreciate this because it demonstrates that City supporters are prepared to purchase the kind of writing we aspire to produce – cutting through the noise in an online landscape that is becoming increasingly saturated with it. We hope our coverage of the pre-season Asian tour provided substantial interest, from the in-depth conversation with manager Enzo Maresca to numerous player interviews, insights into the tour’s commercial side, and the most current transfer news and breakdown.
By joining our Premium subscription package, you will receive the most thorough City coverage from a team that will be tracking Maresca and his squad as we accompany them at home and away throughout Britain and Europe for every match of the season.
Here is what your Manchester Evening News Premium subscription includes:
Q&A sessions: Our weekly equivalent of an Ask Me Anything format, with questions accepted on every facet of the club
The Academy Notebook: Interested in learning more about the next Ryan McAidoo or Enzo Maresca? Stay informed about the promising Blue future with updates, scouting assessments, interviews, profiles, and comprehensive explorations of all academy matters
More thorough analysis: We will move beyond surface-level reporting, exploring the reasons and methods behind match results, the 115 charges, or significant commercial agreements
Advocacy for supporters: We take pride in having helped highlight various concerns that followers have encountered over recent years and spurred modifications within the club to secure improved arrangements for fans. Should there be an issue we ought to be addressing that we currently are not, please inform us
Commentary: From North Stand developments to net spending, alongside the ongoing anticipation for the charges ruling, we will remain attentive to all the significant discussion points relevant to you
You will additionally receive:
Complete access to the Manchester Evening News
A smoother, quicker online reading experience with reduced advertising*
To subscribe, follow this link
Following an outstanding decade with Pep Guardiola at City, a fresh chapter under Enzo Maresca presents exciting possibilities, and we are delighted to be able to provide you with increased access and coverage. Thank you for your continued support through reading articles, engaging with podcasts, and generally offering kind words when you approach me around matches, and I trust you will join us for every moment of what lies ahead. Football never pauses – and neither do we.
Simon Bajkowski, senior Manchester City reporter
*Reduced advertising signifies that standard display advertising formats shown within the articles you read will be substantially limited, though particular articles may include commercial messages or affiliate links where contractual obligations apply.