DAVID Sharpe has highlighted the financial muscle City would face if they do get up to League One.

The Bantams travel to newly-promoted Mansfield tomorrow for their second group game in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy.

The low-key fixture will be a special one for head of football operations Sharpe, who spent three years with the Stags as director of football and then chief executive.

Sharpe was thrilled to see his old club win promotion and backs Nigel Clough to establish them in the third tier – despite the big money that others can throw around at that level.

“I’m looking forward to meeting up with the guys,” he said ahead of City’s visit.

“I’ve not seen too much of them recently, so I’ll be in their office before the game.

“They’ve done unbelievable. I think they’ll be fine in League One because Nigel’s a good manager.

“It was a blow to lose Davis Keillor-Dunn but they only paid a small fee for him, £25,000 or something, and they’ve sold him to Barnsley for a very significant figure.

“They will struggle to replace his goals and quality but I think they’ll find a different way of playing without him.

“The top six is very hard to break into – when you hear Birmingham paying £12 million for a striker!

“I was at Wigan when we bought Will Grigg for £1 million and that was the record then. It’s been blown out the water.”

Sharpe admitted City are already getting a taste of that spending power in the transfer market.

“We’re in for players that get League One moves because you’re always looking for the best around. It just shows what you’re up against.

“You’ve got wages being paid in that league of £10,000 to £12,000 a week. It’s becoming really challenging.”

While the mouth-watering figures are being bandied around in the division above, Sharpe sees League Two as more of an even playing field this season.

“I don’t think you get it as much in League Two now we’ve got Wrexham and Stockport out the way.

“It’s not a huge gap between the top and bottom. It’s probably a £2 million difference in wage bills.

“The worst might be £1 million and something and the highest at £3 point something million.

“Whereas in League One. you go from £3 million or £4 million to Birmingham at God knows what, £15 million or £20 million.

“Then you take the Championship and the likes of Rotherham who were there last season on £6-10 million to Leeds with £40-50 million. That’s where you get the issues.

“In League Two, certain clubs might be offering £500 a week more but it’s not a huge gap.

“But there are clubs paying more than previously. They are pushing the boat out a bit more because there’s no big Wrexham and Stockport.

“The likes of Walsall and our next opponents Wimbledon, ones who have got settled squads and settled managers will have decent seasons.

“They just recruit smartly and are not really throwing daft money at things like Wrexham or Stockport were. But I also believe we’ll be in the mix come May time.”