Man City’s five best January transfers of all time

Analysis

Man City have signed some world-class players since the Abu Dhabi takeover in 2008.

As with most big clubs, they have done most of their business in the summer, but the Cityzens have also brought in key players in the winter.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through Man City’s five best January transfers of all time.

Edin Dzeko - €37m (from Wolfsburg)

Man City signed Edin Dzeko after consecutive Golden Boot-winning seasons in the Bundesliga, and he netted 10 times in the 17 Bundesliga matches he played the season he joined City.

He got off to a slow start on the blue side of Manchester, with just two goals in 15 league appearances.

But things quickly sped up the following year, which was the first of three in a row with at least 14 league goals.

City won the first two Premier League titles in club history during that span, which cements Dzeko as a key part of the club.

Aymeric Laporte - €65m (from Athletic Bilbao)

Aymeric Laporte was one of the hottest centre-back commodities across Europe for a long time, and Man City finally prised him from Athletic Bilbao in early 2018.

The Basque defender helped City to a record 100-point tally immediately after he joined, and in his first full season, he started 34 matches as City won the title again.

Injuries and poor form limited him to 28 appearances across the next two seasons - one of which saw another City league title - but he worked his way back to play 33 matches in 2021/22.

Although he played just 12 league matches in his final full season in Manchester, he still brought in a solid €27.5m fee.

Gabriel Jesus - €32m (from Palmeiras)

Gabriel Jesus has never been the most consistent goalscorer, especially for a striker, but he often finds ways to impact games, and his five-and-a-half season tenure at City proved just that.

He helped the team to four titles in that span, and his best season was a 14-goal and seven-assist haul in 2,030 minutes played in 2019/20.

Jesus’s pressing ability and work rate made him a versatile option for Guardiola, who sometimes used him on the wing to pin fullbacks into their own defensive third.

Plus, City were able to sell him for a profit to league rivals Arsenal with a €52.2m fee.

Julian Alvarez - €21.1m (from River Plate)

Plenty of people thought Man City did a nice bit of business by meeting then-River Plate wonderkid Julian Alvarez for a €21.4m fee.

He only stayed for a season and a half, but he scored 20 league goals with eight assists in 44 Premier League matches and was part of two title-winning sides.

Arguably, the most important part of his tenure was his departure to Atletico Madrid for €75m, meaning he made the team €50m in profit.

Nigel de Jong - €18m (from Hamburg)

Nigel de Jong is not necessarily the type of player fans buy tickets to see, but every team needs a player like him.

Signed in the January window after City’s lucrative takeover, De Jong played a major role in the club’s ascent up the table.

City finished 10th in his first half-season, fifth in his second season, third in his fourth season, and won the title in his fifth and final season.

He also set the tone for a succession of physically dominant midfielders at the Etihad, which includes Yaya Toure and Rodri.

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