Manchester City’s rise to being one of, if not the best team in England has been a spectacle in modern football. Since Sheikh Mansour took over the club in 2008, they have scaled new heights in the sport and have established themselves as the most successful club in the country since then.
Crucial to this success has been the excellent recruitment policies in place at the club since the change of ownership. The club has flexed its financial muscle in the transfer market on several occasions but have also pulled off some incredible deals on the cheap.
Having said that, let’s take a look at 10 Man City best transfers of all time based on their value and the impact these players made at the club.
10. Carlos Tevez
Tevez is one of the Man City best transfers of all time for reasons both on and off the pitch. The manner in which he left cross-town rivals Manchester United to sign for the Cityzens left a sour taste in then-Red Devils manager Sir Alex Ferguson’s mouth, who was irate with Tevez.
The Argentine, however, helped City win their first trophy in 35 years as they defeated Stoke City in the FA Cup final in 2011. He also played a key role as they won their first-ever Premier League title the following season.
Carlos Tevez made 148 appearances for City, scoring 73 goals and providing 32 assists. Along with the aforementioned cups, he also won the FA Community Shield in 2012.
9. Pablo Zabaleta
Another iconic Argentine in Manchester City’s ranks, Zabaleta switched from Espanyol in 2008 and soon became an important member of the first team. He played most of his career at right-back but also played in central defence on the rare occasion.
Zabaleta was instrumental in helping City win the FA Cup in 2011, followed by the Premier League title the following year. He ended his career with two titles, two League Cups and one FA Community Shield. He made 333 appearances for the club, scoring 12 goals and providing 25 assists.
8. Erling Haaland
Few players hit the ground running like the towering Norwegian did after his reported £51.2 million move from Borussia Dortmund in May 2022. Considering the form he was in, City jumped ahead of their rivals and snapped up a player who immediately made his transfer fee seem like a bargain.
Erling Haaland scored 52 goals and provided nine assists in 53 games across competitions in the 2022/23 season, including 36 goals in 35 Premier League appearances to win the Golden Boot. He retained the accolade in the 2023/24 season, scoring 27 goals in 31 league appearances.
In just two seasons at the club, Haaland has already won two Premier League titles and the coveted UEFA Champions League title in addition to one FA Cup and one UEFA Super Cup. Despite the recency, he is already one of Manchester City’s 10 best transfers of all-time.
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7. Kevin De Bruyne
Manchester City’s current captain previously had an unsuccessful stint in the Premier League with Chelsea, which made his £55 million move from Wolfsburg in 2015 seem like a gamble. However, the Belgian turned out to be one of the greatest passers in the history of the league and has helped City become the juggernauts they are.
De Bruyne has made 382 appearances for the Cityzens across competitions and has scored 102 goals and provided an eye-watering 170 assists as well. His time at the club has also been the most successful in City’s history, which is no coincidence. The Belgian is a six-time Premier League winner, a five-time League Cup winner, a two-time FA Cup winner, and has also won the Champions League.
His impact at the club and justification of his price tag makes him one of the best Manchester City transfers.
6. Joe Hart
Arguably the greatest bargain in the club’s history, Joe Hart was snapped up by the Cityzens from Shrewsbury FC for a mere £600,000 in 2006. He spent time on loan at Tranmere Rovers and Blackpool before a breakthrough spell with Birmingham City where he made a name for himself as their first-choice stopper in the 2009/10 season.
He was then integrated into Man City’s first team the following season and became their first-choice goalkeeper for the seasons to come. Hart made an incredible 348 appearances for Manchester City and kept 137 clean sheets during his time with the club. He was instrumental in their title win in 2011/12 and won it again in the 2013/14 season. Hart also won two League Cups and one FA Cup with City, making him one of Manchester City’s 10 best transfers of all-time.
5. Ilkay Gundogan
Another player whose transfer fee seems like peanuts for the quality he provided, the German midfielder was signed from Borussia Dortmund in June 2016 for £20 million. An artist with the ball in midfield, Gundogan was the perfect player for the club to move on from a declining David Silva. His passing ability combined with his knack of scoring goals made him an invaluable piece in the team.
Gundogan made 304 appearances for City, scoring 60 goals and providing 38 assists as well. He won five Premier League titles, four League Cups, two FA Cups, and two FA Community Shields and is one of Manchester City’s 10 best transfers of all time.
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4. Yaya Toure
Toure was regarded as one of the best talents in Europe but was surprisingly not a part of then-Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola’s plans. The Ivorian made the switch to City for £24 million in July 2010 and quickly became the driving force of a rising Manchester City side.
A powerful, box-to-box midfielder, Toure contributed immensely on both ends of the pitch and had a unique ability to create goals out of nowhere. He scored long-range shots, tap-ins, free-kicks, and headers, making him one of the most lethal midfielders in his prime.
Toure went on to make a total of 316 appearances for the club, scoring 80 goals and providing 47 assists. He won three Premier League titles, two League Cups, one FA Cup and one FA Community Shield, and was also named Manchester City’s Player of the Year in 2014. The Ivorian is truly one of the best Manchester City transfers in history.
3. David Silva
Silva signed for Manchester City in June 2010 after the English side had previously failed in an attempt to acquire the Spaniard in 2008. His initial days at the club were as a winger in Roberto Mancini’s system but later started being deployed in deeper midfield roles as his career progressed.
Silva’s ability to link the midfield with attack and also make overlapping runs behind the defensive lines made him one of the trickiest players to face. He made 436 appearances for the club, scoring 77 goals and providing 130 assists.
Silva departed the club in 2020 as a four-time Premier League winner, a five-time League Cup winner and a two-time FA Cup winner. The Spaniard was also honoured by the club with a statue outside the Etihad Stadium, cementing his place as one of Manchester City’s 10 best transfers.
2. Vincent Kompany
The only other signing apart from Hart that was made before the Mansour era, Kompany joined City from Hamburg in August 2008. A tall, strong and quick player, the Belgian soon became a mainstay in City’s teams over the years and formed the backbone of the team that eventually won the club’s first Premier League title.
Kompany made 360 appearances for City, scoring 20 goals and providing 10 assists. One of the most iconic moments in the club’s history was his thunderous strike against Leicester City in 2019 to secure the league title. Kompany left the club as a four-time Premier League winner, a four-time League Cup winner, a two-time FA Cup winner and a two-time FA Community Shield winner.
Due to his impact and the fact he was captain for several years, Kompany is undisputedly one of the best Manchester City transfers.
1. Sergio Aguero
One of the most prolific and early-blossoming strikers the sport has ever seen, Aguero moved to Manchester City from Atletico Madrid in July 2011 for £35 million. Despite being 23 at the time, he already had over 200 appearances at club level under his belt, along with scoring over 100 goals.
The Argentine famously scored the last-gasp winner against Queens Park Rangers to give Manchester City their first Premier League title in 2012. He made 390 appearances for the club, scoring a record 260 goals along with 65 assists. Aguero won five Premier League titles, six League Cups, one FA Cup and three FA Community Shields.
He also won the Golden Boot in the 2014/15 season and was inducted into the league’s Hall of Fame in 2022. Aguero undoubtedly deserves his spot at the top of the list of Manchester City’s 10 best transfers of all time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Who is Manchester City’s biggest signing?
A. City signed Jack Grealish from Aston Villa for £100 million in 2021, making him their biggest signing.
Q. Who is the best signing for Manchester City?
A. Sergio Aguero is arguably the best signing in City’s history.
Q. Who is the most valuable Manchester City player?
A. Erling Haaland is the most valuable City player currently, valued at £151 million.
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