da spicy bet： The Premier League’s biggest spenders over the past eight years, ever since the City Football Group took over in Manchester’s blue side, City have gone from strength to strength.
da cassino online： When Manchester United and Arsenal were battling it out for titles in the early 2000s, that was the time that money started to really enter football. Commercial opportunities in far-flung parts of the world were possible as satellite TV became the norm, and the clubs right at the top of the tree were in a position to take advantage of that. For teams like Manchester City, breaking into that cabal a decade later meant spending the money they’d lost out on over that period – and they could only do that if they had the appropriate financial backing from outside.
It’s no surprise these days when City field a squad chock-full of expensively acquired talent, but we always feel it’s a bit lazy to characterise them as ‘big-spending’ without actually delving into the issues. So we’ve looked into transfer mad website, TransferMarkt.com, to count down the ten most expensive players currently at City by market value. It has nothing to do with the amount they paid for them, just what they’re worth in the market – have City paid too much for their talent?
10. John Stones (£21.8m)
For nearly £50m, Manchester City bought – according to TransferMarkt – £21.8m of talent.
Did City pay over the odds? Yes. But did they buy exactly the sort of young talent who will star at centre back for their club and instil a kind of pass-from-the-back identity that the club craves? Oh, absolutely yes!
So did Stones cost too much money? Only time will tell, but if his first few months are anything to go by, City seem to have a player who will be a huge figure in their club for years to come – and I bet they’d consider that a steal at £50m!
9. Fernandinho (£23.8m)
It’s quite satisfying to see Fernandinho on this list. Manchester City paid quite a bit of money for him in 2013, and whilst he may be advancing in years, he is arguably one of City’s best players. Technically, he is outstanding, but he combines that with an incredible work rate and an uncanny strength. He could play anywhere on the pitch, and under Guardiola he may just be asked to.
His value will decrease over the next few seasons, however, given his age – so you wouldn’t expect that City will be able to recoup the £34m they paid for him.
8. Vincent Kompany (£25.5m)
Given his injury struggles, these are worrying times for Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany. The tragedy of finding him in this list is probably the fact that you know he certainly can’t be sold for over £25m today – his injuries would put off any club in the world at that price.
But if he does manage to get fit and put his career back on track, Kompany will be a huge asset on City, not just in the heart of their defence, but as a financial asset, too.
7. Leroy Sane (£25.5m)
Manchester City paid more than the going rate for former Schalke sensation Leroy Sane, but that just seems to be a sign of the times.
Just like with John Stones, City paid over the odds precisely because the odds are so high that Sane will turn into a top class winger in a few years – and when you’re a club looking to be successful on the pitch in order to create revenue off it, then you can’t skimp on the talent.
6. Ilkay Gundogan (£25.5m)
TransferMarkt seem to think that Manchester City paid about the going rate for Ilkay Gundogan. Gundogan seemed to be Pep Guardiola’s first thought when he took over at City. The German international was injured, but that didn’t stop Guardiola from asking those with the chequebook to splash out on a man who is a talented and elegant box-to-box midfielder.
At only 25, you’d imagine City will be hoping for years of solid performances to see a return on that investment.
5. Nicolas Otamendi (£27.2m)
Bruising centre-back Nicolas Otamendi is often the bull to City’s china shop in the heart of the defence, and it is surprising, then, that they paid so much money for him last summer.
The former Valencia and Porto central defender still comes in as one of the most valuable players currently at the club, but a lot of that might have to do with the fact that City bought him for so much money in the first place.
4. David Silva (£28.05m)
We’re getting to the cream of Manchester City’s squad by this point in the list. David Silva may have passed the 30 mark in terms of age, but it’s clear that he is still a vital cog in Pep Guardiola’s machine.
Silva has over 100 caps for Spain and only eight men have more caps, whilst manager Pep Guardiola managed only 47, even whilst spending a footballing lifetime at Barcelona.
His market value might be high, but you get the feeling that his value to the club will be even higher than that.
3. Raheem Sterling (£38.25m)
It’s another familiar story of Manchester City paying a huge sum of money for a footballer whose market value is much lower than his last transfer fee.
Yet that doesn’t tell the whole story – not only is the Sterling situation similar to that of John Stones and Leroy Sane in that City have paid the price for potential as well as current ability, but it’s also the case that his poor performances at times last season as well as for England at Euro 2016 have seen his market value fall.
This season, it’s a different story, and if he keeps playing like he has been this season, you get the feeling that value will rise rather dramatically.
2. Sergio Aguero (£51m)
Number two on the list is Sergio Aguero – and perhaps it is only surprising that he’s not number one. The Argentinian striker is one of the best in the world, and he has been scoring for fun so far this season.
The only downside for Aguero and his prestige, really, is the fact that he shares an era and a nationality with Lionel Messi. If it weren’t for Messi, Aguero would surely be Argentina’s golden boy.
1. Kevin De Bruyne (£51m)
Number one on TransferMarkt’s list, Kevin De Bruyne is given the same value as Sergio Aguero, but probably has his name added to the top rather than a place below thanks to his age and the fact that he was bought for a higher price tag just a year ago.
Since moving to City, though, De Bruyne has surely increased his stock given his recent performances, and if City were to sell him now, they’d surely recoup the club record transfer fee they paid for him and then some.