Manchester City’s 25 Most Expensive Signings Of All Time

Since the Abu Dhabi takeover in the summer of 2008, Manchester City’s list of most expensive transfers has undergone a total overhaul, with the club routinely spending huge sums on established international stars.

Over the past decade, the Cityzens have earned a reputation as one of Europe’s biggest spenders, pursuing big guns to aid the owners’ bid to build a dynasty.

Often accused of inflating market prices, largely thanks to their extravagant spending habits, the Cityzens have never hesitated to pay premium fees for the players they believe can take them to the next level.

Nothing has changed this summer. They continue to spend lavishly even in the wake of Pep Guardiola’s departure, as most recently witnessed by a record-breaking acquisition of Elliot Anderson.

That is just the tip of the iceberg.

Below are the 25 most expensive Man City signings of all time.

#25 Eliaquim Mangala – €45m (Porto, 2014)

Mangala is one of only three players on this list to have joined Man City before Guardiola’s arrival in 2016. City paid Porto €45m to secure his services in 2014, yet it didn’t pan out the way either party had hoped.

The Frenchman made just 79 appearances for the Cityzens during his five-year stint in English football before leaving the club on a free transfer to join Valencia in 2019.

#24 Nathan Ake – €45.3m (Bournemouth, 2020)

Ake never had a real chance to prove himself at Chelsea, but Bournemouth provided him with the environment he needed to become one of the Premier League’s most highly rated defenders.

In 2020, Guardiola came calling, and the Dutchman answered, spending the next six years at the Etihad, where he won everything there was to win before leaving for Fenerbahce in 2026.

#23 Kalvin Phillips – €48m (Leeds United, 2022)

Guardiola rarely made a mistake of this magnitude during his trophy-laden stint in Manchester, but based on everything Phillips had shown at Leeds United, it looked like a match made in heaven.

Except it wasn’t. The deep-lying midfielder has never found his footing at the Etihad, collecting just 16 appearances for the club.

Although he remains under contract with City until 2028, he has just joined Sheffield United on another season-long loan – his third loan spell since becoming a Cityzen in 2022.

#22 Bernardo Silva – €50m (Monaco, 2017)

Silva was one of Guardiola’s first marquee signings, and few players have embodied the Spaniard’s football philosophy better than the diminutive playmaker, who was the cornerstone of one of the most dominant teams in the Premier League era.

With 76 and 77 assists across 460 matches, Silva established himself as a modern-day Man City icon, helping the club win six league titles and the coveted Champions League trophy in 2022.

The Portuguese midfielder has just embarked on a new chapter in his illustrious career, joining Real Madrid on a Bosman deal following a remarkable nine-year spell in the Premier League.

#21 Leroy Sane – €52m (Schalke 04, 2016)

It was Man City’s first transfer window under the Spanish manager, and they were frantically looking for reinforcements, looking to end a two-year title drought in the top flight.

Sane, who emerged as one of Europe’s brightest prospects while enjoying a rise to stardom at Schalke 04, caught Guardiola’s eye, with City splashing out €52m to bring him to the Etihad.

Consistency was never the German winger’s standout feature, yet at his peak, he was almost unstoppable. However, after falling out of favour with Guardiola, he was sold to Bayern Munich in 2020.

#20 Kyle Walker – €52.7m (Tottenham Hotspur, 2017)

Walker’s arrival from Tottenham Hotspur in the early stages of Guardiola’s reign laid the foundations for one of the Premier League’s greatest dynasties.

Regarded as one of the best full-backs of his generation, Walker played a prominent role in Man City’s vast success under Guardiola and even captained the team towards the end of his career in Manchester.

After eight memorable years at the club, he signed for Burnley in 2025.

#19 Tijjani Reijnders – €54.9m (AC Milan, 2025)

Despite his promising start in the Cityzens colours, Man City fans have yet to see the best of Reijnders, who endured a topsy-turvy first season in the Premier League.

Once a heartbeat of AC Milan’s midfield, the Dutchman joined the 10-time English champions with the weight of expectation on his shoulders after an outstanding spell in Serie A.

However, filling Kevin De Bruyne’s shoes has so far proved a tall order.

#18 John Stones – €55.6m (Everton, 2016)

Another pioneer of Guardiola’s era, Stones developed from one of England’s hottest defensive prospects into one of the finest ball-playing centre-backs in world football during his nine-year stint at the Etihad.

Despite his notorious proneness to injuries, he left an indelible mark on Man City, helping the club dominate both English and European football. He left the club at the end of last season to join Inter Milan as a free agent.

#17 Benjamin Mendy – €57.5m (Monaco, 2017)

Back in the day, Mendy was a man who had everything.

Fresh off winning the Premier League title in his first season at Man City, he became a World Cup champion with France in 2018, and his career appeared destined for greatness.

Unfortunately, Mendy’s world fell apart in 2021 after he was charged with multiple sexual offences, bringing his Man City career to an abrupt end despite his subsequent acquittal.

#16 Jeremy Doku – €60m (Rennes, 2023)

Doku was a star in the making even before he moved to the Etihad, but working with Guardiola helped him fulfill his potential and become one of the world’s best wingers.

Blessed with blistering pace, dazzling dribbling ability and fearless one-on-one play, the Belgian has become one of the Cityzens’ most devastating attacking weapons.

Last season was transformative for the 24-year-old, who enjoyed the most productive campaign of his career while taking his game to another level.

#15 Erling Braut Haaland – €60m (Borussia Dortmund, 2022)

While €60m is a lot of money, Haaland has made his transfer fee look like a bargain.

Arguably the most complete striker in the world has been nothing short of exceptional since arriving in the Premier League, topping the division’s scoring charts in three of his four seasons in English football.

His record-breaking 36-goal tally in his maiden Premier League campaign was merely the beginning, with the Norwegian continuing to rewrite the record books in Manchester.

#14 Nico Gonzalez – €60m (Porto, 2025)

Barcelona’s academy graduate had to take a detour through the Iberian Peninsula before arriving at the Etihad in 2025, trying to make a name for himself at Valencia and Porto.

Two years in Portugal transformed him into one of Europe’s most sought-after prospects, yet his first season at Man City showed he is still an uncut gem, despite occasional flashes of brilliance.

#13 Matheus Nunes – €62m (Wolverhampton Wanderers, 2023)

Initially intended to bolster the club’s midfield options, Nunes underwent a remarkable transformation under Guardiola, reinventing himself as a reliable right-back.

Switching positions has offered him a new lease of life, allowing his athleticism and passing to flourish in a role that suits his strengths.

Given the lack of alternatives on the right flank, Nunes is likely to be a regular starter under Enzo Maresca.

#12 Raheem Sterling – €63.7m (Liverpool, 2015)

Man City had good reason to break the British transfer record for an English player, as Sterling had already established himself as one of the league’s standout performers at Liverpool.

Insanely fast and technically gifted, all he lacked to become a top player was clinical finishing, and Guardiola’s arrival proved the catalyst he needed to develop into a world-class forward.

And he was world-class for the best part of his Man City career, which ended rather unceremoniously earlier in 2026.

#11 Aymeric Laporte – €65m (Athletic Club, 2018)

The Cityzens knew it would take a fortune to convince Athletic Club to sell one of their most prized assets, but they had no hesitation in paying €65m for a defender they believed could anchor their backline for years.

Laporte’s first season was an utter success as he won the Premier League title, only for a series of severe injuries to derail his progress in the following years, leaving him low in the pecking order.

Tired of playing second fiddle to Ruben Dias and Stones, he eventually left the club in 2023 to join Al-Nassr.

#10 Joao Cancelo – €65m (Juventus, 2019)

Signed from Juventus in 2019 as part of an intricate business operation that saw Danilo head in the opposite direction, Cancelo took his time to adapt to English football.

However, after hitting the ground running, he became one of Guardiola’s most trusted players, with his versatility and tactical awareness allowing him to operate on both wings and in the middle of the park.

After playing a prominent role in Man City’s back-to-back league triumphs in 2021 and 2022, he had a fallout with the Spaniard, and his career at the Etihad reached the point of no return.

City sent him out on loan to Bayern Munich in January 2023 and Barcelona for the 2023/24 season before eventually selling him to Al-Hilal in 2024.

#9 Riyad Mahrez – €67.8m (Leicester City, 2018)

Leicester City made it difficult for Mahrez to leave the King Power Stadium in the wake of their iconic Premier League triumph, but when Man City put an eye-watering €67.8m on the table in 2018, even the Foxes couldn’t resist such a lucrative offer.

Mahrez didn’t come cheap. Yet, he was just the type of player to complete Guardiola’s attacking puzzle, bringing elite-level creativity and one of the best first touches football has ever seen.

During his highly successful five-year stint, the Algerian forward registered 78 goals and 59 assists in 236 games. He waved goodbye to Europe in 2023 to embrace the riches of Saudi Arabia.

#8 Rodri – €70m (Atletico Madrid, 2019)

Back in 2019, Man City needed a player to replace the ageing Fernandinho, and they found the perfect profile – a composed, tactically intelligent midfielder with the physicality to dominate the centre of the pitch.

Rodri’s first year at the club was far from impressive, but patience paid off as he slowly transformed into the metronome of one of the most dominant teams in football history.

The Spaniard reached his peak in 2024 when he won the Ballon d’Or, but as witnessed by his stellar performances at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, he’s still up there with the very best.

#7 Ruben Dias – €71.6m (Benfica, 2020)

Whenever a club from Europe’s top-five leagues decides to splash out big bucks on a player from the Primeira Liga, it’s like a coin toss. History is littered with examples of talented players who struggled to adapt after making the leap to England’s top flight.

Dias immediately bucked the trend and became the defensive leader City had been searching for, winning the FWA Player of the Year award in a stellar first season as the Cityzens secured Premier League glory.

He was equally outstanding during Man City’s treble-winning 2022/23 campaign, before helping the club lift a landmark 10th Premier League crown the following year.

#6 Antoine Semenyo – €72m (Bournemouth, 2026)

Semenyo is among the most recent additions to this list, having joined the club in a mega-money transfer from Bournemouth in January 2026.

Only three months into his new chapter at the Etihad, the versatile forward won his first piece of silverware, helping Man City beat Arsenal in the League Cup final.

The 26-year-old has quickly cemented his place in the starting XI, netting seven goals in his first 17 league appearances for the club.

Despite the managerial change, Semenyo should remain one of City’s most reliable attacking outlets under Maresca.

#5 Omar Marmoush – €75m (Eintracht Frankfurt, 2025)

The story of Marmoush has been a little different, even though he enjoyed a dream start to life at the Etihad upon his €75m arrival from Eintracht Frankfurt in January 2025.

With Haaland injured and Man City lagging well behind Liverpool midway through the 2024/25 campaign, Guardiola decided to invest over €200m on new signings in the winter transfer window.

Marmoush arrived as a marquee signing after setting the Bundesliga alight with 20 goals and 14 assists in just 27 matches. However, Haaland’s recovery has pushed him down the pecking order.

#4 Kevin De Bruyne – €76m (Wolfsburg, 2015)

We might be talking about the greatest Man City player ever here.

Brought in from Wolfsburg a year before Guardiola’s appointment, De Bruyne had a point to prove after his underwhelming spell at Chelsea, and he passed that test with flying colours.

With 18 major titles and 285 goal contributions, the Belgian cemented his status as one of the best players in Premier League history and the undisputed architect of City’s golden era.

Napoli signed him on a free transfer in 2025.

#3 Josko Gvardiol – €90m (RB Leipzig, 2023)

Man City made Gvardiol the most expensive defender in football history when they paid RB Leipzig €90m in the summer of 2023, shortly after his scintillating performances at the 2022 World Cup.

It was far from a seamless start for the Croatian star, but he gradually found his footing and developed into one of the most complete defenders in the Premier League.

And he is still only 24.

#2 Jack Grealish – €117.5m (Aston Villa, 2021)

After several fantastic seasons at Aston Villa, Grealish looked destined for a high-profile transfer in the summer of 2021, with a host of England’s top teams vying for his signature.

It took Man City a whopping €117.5m to win the race, making Grealish the most expensive British footballer at the time. However, his first season at the Etihad failed to live up to the billing.

Despite briefly resurrecting his City career, his influence eventually dwindled again, with the Cityzens loaning him out to Everton for the 2025/26 season.

He’s back now, but for how long?

#1 Elliot Anderson – €135m (Nottingham Forest, 2026)

Everyone at the club can only hope Anderson avoids following in Grealish’s footsteps after breaking another record to lure him away from Nottingham Forest this summer.

There’s little doubt that the 23-year-old has everything it takes to become an elite star, but whether he can handle the weight of expectation that comes with such a staggering price tag is a whole different question.

For now, Anderson represents both City’s ambition and the risks that come with investing ridiculous sums in emerging talent.