Manchester City have become the elite club in world football since 2008, when the club was bought by Sheikh Monsour, and have won four of the last five Premier League titles....CONTINUE READING THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
City is now one of the biggest spenders in football, which has enabled the club to climb the football rankings and compete with the most successful clubs in the world.
Although City have spent millions on some of their transfer mistakes, they have also spent heavily on top players, some of whom have become legends at the club.
Robinho may have started with a move from Real Madrid, but the following players have achieved more than the Brazilian since he arrived at the Etihad,
City have had their most dominant period since 2008, when they won a host of trophies. In Football Transfers, we present the top 10 new players of the last 20 years.
MANCHESTER CITY’S MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS:
10. Carlos Tevez – £47m from Man Utd, 2009
Carlos Tevez was at City for just four years, but his role was pivotal at the start of the transformation. He was acquired for £47 million by Media Sport Investment after a spell with bitter rivals Manchester United and helped City win their first FA Cup since 1969 in 2011 and their first Premier League title the following year.
Tevez may have started just seven games when the title was won, but in the two seasons before that he scored 23 and 20 league goals respectively and helped put the Citizens on the map. Tevez’s goals helped City establish themselves as a contender for the Premier League title before they won it.
The Argentine’s early impact on the City team cannot be underestimated, and the passionate fans supporting the club were delighted to see him snatched away from United, with the famous ‘Welcome to Manchester’ sign still in mind.
9. Raheem Sterling – £49 million from Liverpool, 2015
Raheem Sterling was just 20 years old when he moved from Liverpool to Manchester, and it was a big risky move for the City hierarchy.
He showed his talent at Liverpool, but was far from consistent, as evidenced by six goals and two assists in his first season in the Premier League for City.
When Pep Guardiola started working with Sterling, however, he became much more clinical in front of goal and with 18 goals in 2017/18 and 17 the following season, he helped the team to two titles.
It was a risky move at the time, but it certainly paid off. Sterling, who is still only 27, has moved to Chelsea.
8 Pablo Zabaleta – £6.45 million from Espanyol, 2008
Acquired for £6.45 million from Espanyol in the same summer that Vincent Kompany joined the club (2008), Pablo Zabaleta has established himself as one of the best defenders in the league and has proved to be a real steal for the price.
With 333 appearances and six trophies for City, Zabaleta has helped establish City as a force to be reckoned with in English football.
The Argentine signed a contract the day before Sheikh Mansour took over at City, so the fact that he held out for so long makes it all the more admirable. Together with Kompany, they have created a solid foundation on which the strikers have been able to blossom.
7. Ederson – £35m from Benfica, 2017
While Man City were busy buying superstars in midfield, there was a growing feeling that Joe Hart was the team’s weakness in goal, despite being the Premier League winner and still England’s number one when Guardiola was appointed.
Guardiola wanted a goalkeeper who could play with the ball and after a failed project with Claudio Bravo, City chose Benfica’s Brazilian international Ederson.
But not even Pep could have predicted how easily Ederson would adapt to English football.
Ederson is an outstanding goalkeeper, but his greatest talent is probably his ability to convert defence into attack in the blink of an eye with long passes over opposing defenders.
He can play in midfield like a pro if he wants to, and his style of play contributes greatly to City’s way of building their game.
6. David Silva – £26 million from Valencia, 2010
David Silva was signed for £26 million from Valencia and has played a key role in four Premier League wins as well as four League Cup wins and two FA Cup wins.
In total, the silky playmaker has played more than 400 games for the Citizens, scoring 77 goals and 141 assists, which is an impressive ratio considering his position as an attacking midfielder.
His ability to find passes that broke down defences was unwavering and his vision was as good as the best the Premier League has ever seen.
5. Fernandinho £34m from Shakhtar Donetsk, 2013
Fernandinho spent nine years at the club after moving from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2013 for £34 million.
He made more than 300 appearances and gave Silva, Yaya Toure and Kevin De Bruyne the opportunity to show their magic during that time.
Fernandinho won 12 trophies for the club and although he is not as big a name as Sergio Aguero or the aforementioned, he will go down in City folklore as an important part of their success in 2010.
4. Vincent Kompany – £10 million from Anderlecht, 2008
The adage “captain, leader, legend” certainly applies to Vincent Kompany, who joined City as a defensive midfielder for £10 million in 2008 and has since developed into one of the world’s best midfielders.
Kompany has been around since City’s transformation, and after 360 games, 20 goals and 12 trophies, his hero status has long since been cemented.
Signed for a relatively small fee, Kompany is undoubtedly one of the greatest finds in Premier League history and his winning goal against Leicester City to secure the title in 2019 will live long in the memory of all City fans.
3. Yaya Toure – £24 million from Barcelona, 2010
Yaya Toure is one of the best central midfielders in Premier League history, not to mention one of City’s best players.
His strength, technical perfection and ability in front of goal made all opponents fear him and he was a monster in the middle of the pitch.
Toure may have passed away in 2018, perhaps too soon, but his influence should not be diminished.
Over 300 appearances, 79 goals and 50 assists, eight trophies and arguably the best single season for a central midfielder in Premier League history in 2013/14 – Toure had it all.
He was signed from Barcelona for £24 million, but he was worth the money, and who can forget his song?
2. Sergio Aguero – £35m from Atletico Madrid, 2011
Sergio Aguero arrived at the club in 2011 for £35 million from Atletico Madrid, and like those already mentioned on this list, he played an important role in their rise to the top of English football.
Five Premier League titles, six League Cup wins and one FA Cup win – Aguero’s trophy cabinet is full.
He has made 390 appearances for the club and scored 260 goals in all competitions, making him the club’s all-time top scorer.
In the Premier League alone, he scored 184 goals, the fourth highest number in history and the highest for a foreign player, and he also had the best goals-per-minute ratio in the competition’s history.
Just months after leaving the club to join Barcelona in 2021, he was sadly forced to retire due to heart problems.
1. Kevin De Bruyne – £55 million from Wolfsburg, 2015
De Bruyne signed a year before Guardiola’s arrival and arrived at Man City with the weight of criticism from the English press on his shoulders.
After a disappointing spell at Chelsea, where he wasn’t given a real chance, he shone in the Bundesliga and has been fantastic since signing for City.
He has won countless trophies for the club, has played more than 250 games and contributed more than 160 goals and assists. De Bruyne is a Man City legend and one of their best signings ever.
It’s hard to imagine that £55 million for any player could be considered a bargain, but De Bruyne has proven that it is possible.
