Manchester City invested heavily to transform themselves from a mid-table Premier League into one of the best squads on the planet. Since Sheikh Mansour took over the club in 2011, they have been ready to spend big sums on the right player to get them where they want to be.
From Brazilian superstar Robinho on the day Mansour bought City, to the £100 million ($120m) British record transfer of Jack Grealish, the onus has always been on making the team stronger.
But as they have become more successful, City have become adept at handling the transfer market – walking away from proposed deals for Harry Maguire, Fred, Jorginho and Marc Cucurella, which they didn’t think represented value for money.
That has also seen them become more agile under director of football Txiki Begiristain, allowing players to leave the club and making significant profits on some of those that were thought to be surplus to requirements.
Here, GOAL runs down the most expensive players sold by the six-time Premier League winners…
Man City's biggest transfer sales by season
Season | Biggest Sale | Fee | Total Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
2022-23 | Raheem Sterling | £47.5m | £140m |
2021-22 | Ferran Torres | £47m | £85m |
2020-21 | Leroy Sane | £55m | £70m |
2019-20 | Danilo | £33m | £64m |
2018-19 | Brahim Diaz | £15m | £52m |
2017-18 | Kelechi Iheanacho | £25m | £52m |
2016-17 | Stevan Jovetic | £12m | £32m |
2015-16 | Alvaro Negredo | £23.7m | £61m |
2014-15 | Javi Garcia | £13m | £27m |
2013-14 | Carlos Tevez | £12m | £14m |
2012-13 | Mario Balotelli | £18m | £40m |
2011-12 | Jerome Boateng | £12m | £28m |
2010-11 | Robinho | £19m | £36m |
2009-10 | Elano | £6.5m | £28m |
2008-09 | Vedran Corluka | £8m | £24m |
2007-08 | Joey Barton | £6m | £9m |
2006-07 | David James | £1.5m | £4m |
2005-06 | Shaun Wright-Phillips | £21m | £22m |
2004-05 | Nicolas Anelka | £7m | £8m |
2003-04 | Matias Vuoso | £1.3m | £6m |
2002-03 | Dickson Etuhu | £1m | £1m |
2001-02 | Mark Kennedy | £2m | £6m |
2000-01 | Lee Peacock | £800,000 | £1.5m |