Over the past decade or so, Manchester City has utilised their transfer funds to reach the pinnacle of English football, with some of the biggest and most exciting names in world football playing for them, but what are the top 5 most expensive Manchester City transfers?
Many of the players that have made the switch to the Etihad have gone on to become legends for the club, with Vincent Kompany and Sergio Aguero among them.
To emphasise just how much the Manchester side has in their coffers, the likes of Erling Haaland joining from Borussia Dortmund, Aymeric Laporte from Athletic Bilbao, Raheem Sterling from Liverpool and Rodri from Atletico Madrid do not even make it into the top 5!
Here are the top 5 most expensive Manchester City transfers in the history of the Premier League club, including some of the biggest names in history.
Top 5 most expensive Manchester City transfers in club history
5) Joao Cancelo - £58.5m from Juventus (2019)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 05: Joao Cancelo of Manchester City fouls Harry Wilson of Fulham which leads to a Fulham penalty and a red card during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Fulham FC at Etihad Stadium on November 05, 2022 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
The 2019/20 season saw Joao Cancelo leave Juventus to join Manchester City after one season in Italy. The deal saw City pick up the Portuguese international for £58.5 million and also saw Danilo move the other way, leaving Manchester City to join the Serie A giants.
Cancelo took a while to adapt to the Premier League, like most players. However, 2021 and 2022 saw Cancelo show his true class and become one of the best fullbacks in the world.
During his time in Manchester, Cancelo has already won an array of trophies at City, including 2x Premier League titles, 2x League Cups and a Community Shield.
Cancelo's versatility to play either full-back role makes him a regular starter in Pep Guardiola's starting eleven, which is handy, seeing as he is the fifth most expensive Manchester City transfer ever.
4) Riyad Mahrez - £61m from Leicester (2018)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 09: Riyad Mahrez of Manchester City celebrates with teammates after scoring their team's first goal during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Manchester City and Chelsea at Etihad Stadium on November 09, 2022 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
Riyad Mahrez had already cemented his class in the Premier League after joining Leicester City as an unknown talent for £500,000 from the French side AC Le Havre.
The winger was pivotal in City's unforgettable Premier League win, scoring seventeen goals and getting ten assists.
However, he would have to wait a couple of years before making the switch to Manchester in 2018 for £61 million.
Since joining Manchester City, Mahrez has added three more Premier League titles as well as 3x League Cups, 2x Engish Super Cups and an FA Cup, even finishing top scorer in the FA Cup winning campaign.
3) Ruben Dias - £61m from Benfica (2020)
DORTMUND, GERMANY - OCTOBER 25: Ruben Dias of Manchester City controls the ball during the UEFA Champions League group G match between Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City at Signal Iduna Park on October 25, 2022 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)
Ruben Dias, in 2020, was one of the most wanted defenders in world football. However, the move seemed risky as there were some flaws in his defensive game, which made his price tag not as attractive as it could've been for some clubs.
Nonetheless, City made the move, and Dias would go on to prove the critics wrong by being crucial at the back to influence another league title for City.
Furthermore, Dias' season would be even sweeter as he was crowned PFA Player Of The Season in his debut year.
The Portuguese centre-back would help City defend their title last season, making it two Premier League titles in two seasons for Dias, proving that his price tag of £61 million was a good investment.
2) Kevin De Bruyne - £68.4m from Wolfsburg (2015)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 22: Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Brighton & Hove Albion at Etihad Stadium on October 22, 2022 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Kevin De Bruyne is the only person on this list who joined Manchester City before the Pep Guardiola era. The midfield maestro joined City after an unforgettable year in Germany.
During his time at Wolfsburg, he was influential in a DFB-Pokal win as well as a German Super Cup.
Since rejoining the Premier League, De Bruyne has scored 86 goals and assisted 122 in 308 games, lifting 12 trophies in the process, which include 4x Premier League, 5x League Cups, 1x FA Cup, and 2x Community Shield.
He has also been crowned Player Of The Year on two separate occasions. De Bruyne remains an integral part of Pep Guardiola's plans and is still one of the best midfielders in the world, more than worth the £68.4 million price tag!
1) Jack Grealish - £100m from Aston Villa (2021)
DORTMUND, GERMANY - OCTOBER 25: Jack Grealish of Manchester is seen during the UEFA Champions League group G match between Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City at Signal Iduna Park on October 25, 2022 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
2021 saw former Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish become the most expensive signing in Manchester City history, smashing the record and joining for an estimated £100 million.
The transfer made him the most expensive British transfer in history. His performances at Villa made him one of the most looked at and exciting players in the league, and there were a lot of suitors for his signature.
Grealish was able to fulfil his dream by being a part of a Premier League-winning side, and he looks set to be a mainstay in the City lineup for the next few years.
It will probably be some time until we see Grealish knocked off the perch as the most expensive Manchester City transfer of all time!
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