Man City's 10 most expensive transfers of all time
Cameron Smith
- 4 Sep 2023 09:22 CDT
When Sheikh Mansour purchased the club in August 2008, Manchester City's fortunes were changed forever, with the influx of money ensuring they were able to attract the best players in the world.
The £38 million signing of Robinho just days into Mansour's reign set things in motion, and since then he has spent well over £1 billion on transfers.
With seven Premier League triumphs, seven League Cup wins, and three FA Cup victories since 2008, it's fair to say that Mansour's money has brought immense success to Man City, but who are their 10 most expensive signings of all time?
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10. Matheus Nunes - £53m (from Wolves, 2023
The Cityzens splashed the cash in the summer of 2023 off the back of a treble-winning campaign. €241m were spent on new recruits and £53m (€62m) of that vast sum went to Wolves for Matheus Nunes.
The Portuguese wasnt's even City's first choice, however. They had initially sought to strike a deal for West Ham's Lucas Paqueta but were ultimately forced to pull out due to alleged gambling offences involving the Brazilian.
9. Rodri - £56m (from Atletico Madrid, 2019)
A tall defensive midfielder with an eye for a pass, Rodri was the player selected by Man City to replace the ageing Fernandinho. After a sluggish first year in which he adjusted to English football, Rodri came into his own in 2020/21, helping the side to yet another Premier League triumph.
Having never dropped below a 90% pass accuracy, Rodri is the perfect Guardiola defensive midfielder, akin to Sergio Busquets.
And he was immortalised when he scored the winning goal in the 1-0 victory over Inter Milan in the 2023 Champions League final.
8. Raheem Sterling - £57m (from Liverpool, 2015)
Sterling was just 20 when this move happened, and it represented a huge gamble from City's hierarchy. He had displayed his talent at Liverpool, but he was far from consistent, which was shown by his tally of six goals and two assists in his first Premier League season for City; for someone who cost so much, that wasn't good.
However, once Guardiola began to work with Sterling, he became far more clinical in front of goal, and his 18 strikes in the 2017/18 season, and 17 the following year helped the side to back-to-back titles.
It was a risky move at the time, but it certainly paid off and he left to join Chelsea in 2022 as one of Man City's all-time greats.
7. Aymeric Laporte - £58.5m (from Athletic Bilbao, 2018)
As expected when it comes to buying from Athletic Bilbao, Aymeric Laporte cost a fortune when City signed him in January 2018. His reinforcement helped the side to the title that year, and although Stones and Ruben Dias formed a formidable partnership in their own right, he's still a vital member of the squad.
His second full season at the club was hampered by injury, and his absence saw the title slip from City's grasp; his presence at the back was sorely missed as Liverpool strode to glory.
Laporte has not always been first-choice since but has still played an important role in the Guardiola success story.
6. Joao Cancelo - £58.5m (from Juventus, 2019)
Part of a swap deal that involved Danilo going the other way, Joao Cancelo was an excellent addition to the Man City squad. After having an adaption year in 2019/20, much like Rodri, Cancelo came into his own in his second season, and was the epitome of a Guardiola player.
His tactical versatility was immense, with the Portuguese international starting from either full-back role, and moving inside as a central midfielder when City have the ball.
He was an integral part of the title wins in 2020/21 and 2021/22, developing into a world-class player.
5. Riyad Mahrez - £61m (from Leicester, 2018)
It took a few years after Leicester's shock Premier League win before Riyad Mahrez was granted his wish to move away, and when it happened, it didn't come cheap.
However, City knew the talent he possessed, and with arguably the best first touch in football, Mahrez was a joy to watch.
He was unplayable on his day, and enjoyed five trophy-laden seasons before leaving for Al-Ahli in 2023.
4. Ruben Dias - £61m (from Benfica, 2020)
Now, this was a risk. Ruben Dias was seen as an immense talent in Portugal, but his slight weakness in defending big spaces caused many to worry about his big money move to Man City.
However, he has eased those concerns since he arrived in England, having guided City to Premier League glory, and winning the FWA Player of the Year award in a stellar first season.
He went from strength to strength from there, and was pivotal in the treble-winning season of 2022-23.
3. Kevin De Bruyne - £68.4m (from Wolfsburg, 2015)
Signed the year before Guardiola arrived, Kevin De Bruyne joined Man City with the weight of the English press' criticism on his shoulders. After an underwhelming spell at Chelsea in which he was never really given a fair shot, he then lit up the Bundesliga and since signing for City, the rest is history.
He's won 14 trophies at the club, made over 350 appearances, and contributed to almost 2000 goals. De Bruyne is a Manchester City legend, and one of the their greatest ever signings.
It's hard to think that £68m can be a bargain, but De Bruyne has proven that it's possible.
2. Josko Gvardiol - £78m (from Leipzig, 2023)
Josko Gvardiol became the most expensive centre back in football history (in euros) when he joined Man City from Leipzig for €90m in the summer of 2023.
Gvardiol had emerged as arguably the best young defender on the planet in the previous year and had been one of the stars at the 2022 World Cup as Croatia made it all the way to the semi-finals.
1. Jack Grealish - £100m (from Aston Villa, 2021)
Jack Grealish overtook Kevin De Bruyne as Manchester City's most expensive transfer of all time in the summer of 2021.
His £100m (€118m) move from Aston Villa made him the most expensive English and British transfer in history.
Over the previous couple of seasons he had emerged as one of the Premier League's most exciting and creative players.
Guardiola immediately became a big fan of the player and pushed his club to move for the Euro 2020 star.
This came much to the annoyance of Aston Villa fans, who were heartbroken to see their hometown player leave.
Grealish struggled in his first season at the club, despite winning the Premier League, but was better in his second campaign.
