Every Man City signing made by Pep Guardiola ranked by current ‘value’
It goes without saying that Pep Guardiola has been a raging success during his time at Manchester City.
The Catalan tactician has delivered back-to-back league titles, scooping 198 points along the way, as well as sealing League Cup and FA Cup crowns, including a domestic treble last season.
Of course, to sustain that level of success, you need to work hard in the transfer market to bring star talent to your club, and Guardiola certainly hasn’t been afraid to do so.
Below is a ranking of every Guardiola signing to make an appearance for Manchester City, based upon their share value on Football Index.
Football Index takes into consideration a number of factors, including age, form, transfer rumours and the fact that attackers will usually get more media attention than goalkeepers. You can learn more about Football Index here (providing as you’re 18+ and Gamble Aware.)
Read on to see how Guardiola’s recruits stack up.
18. Claudio Bravo
Transfer deal: £15.4m (from Barcelona in 2016)
Current Football Index value: £0.20
Claudio Bravo received a lot of criticism for some sub-par performances during his first season at the Etihad and has since lost his place to Ederson. Still looks unconvincing on the rare occasions he takes to the pitch.
17. Nolito
Transfer deal: £13.8m (from Celta Vigo in 2016)
Current Football Index Value: £0.35
Made a promising start to life at City, scoring three goals in his first three games but things soon tailed off and Nolito didn’t start a single league game or score a goal for the club in 2017. Moved on to Sevilla for £7.9m after one season.
16. Philippe Sandler
Transfer deal: £2.5m (from PEC Zwolle in 2018)
Current Football Index value: £0.43
Sandler joined City in 2018 after an impressive season in the Dutch Eredivisie with PEC Zwolle but thus far, has managed just two cup appearances for Guardiola. He’s now on loan with Anderlecht and at 22 years old, his chances of breaking into the Man City first team in the future are looking rather bleak.
15. Danilo
Transfer deal: £26.5m (from Real Madrid in 2017)
Current Football Index value: £0.45
Danilo moved to Man City as a European champion with Real Madrid and although he never truly held down a first-team spot during his two years in England, he was a more than able deputy, filling in right across the back four when Guardiola needed him. Moved to Juventus at the start of the season as part of the deal which saw Joao Cancelo move to the Etihad.
14. Kyle Walker
Transfer deal: £45m (from Tottenham in 2017)
Current Football Index value: £0.52
Walker is 29 now and having to fight for his place in Guardiola’s starting XI — hence his relatively low Football Index value — but there’s no doubting he’s been one of the strongest right-backs in Europe since switching Tottenham for City in 2017. Has well over 100 appearances under his belt for City, mopping up five major domestic honours in the process.
13. Ederson
Transfer deal: £35m (from Benfica in 2017)
Current Football Index value: £0.68
Ederson has comfortably been one of Guardiola’s best signings and the Citizens really do miss the Brazilian when he’s not there. Of course, being a goalkeeper, his trade value doesn’t quite stack up against some of his teammates but as long as he keeps doing the business at the Etihad, Guardiola won’t mind that.
12. John Stones
Transfer deal: £47.5m (from Everton in 2016)
Current Football Index value: £0.88
At the time, John Stones’ £47.5m move from Everton made him the world’s second-most expensive defender. Injuries and mistakes have made his time at City a mixed bag so far but Guardiola still clearly rates him highly — his trade value has taken a bit of a hit, though.
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11. Angelino
Transfer deal: £5.3m (from PSV in 2019)
Current Football Index value: £0.93
Angelino rejoined City from PSV in the summer but has struggled for regular playing time so far. His most high-profile appearance came during the recent 3-1 defeat to Liverpool, in which he really struggled up against Mohamed Salah.
10. Joao Cancelo
Transfer deal: £27.5m (from Juventus in 2019)
Current Football Index value: £1.38
Joao Cancelo is still finding his feet at City having only left Juventus in the summer and has actually seen his Football Index value slump over the last few months after the initial bounce felt from his transfer. There’s plenty of time for the Portugal international to make his mark yet, though.
9. Oleksandr Zinchenko
Transfer deal: £1.7m (from Ufa in 2016)
Current Football Index value: £1.41
In an era of high spending at the Etihad, Oleksandr Zinchenko’s £1.7m fee in 2016 seems like an absolute snip considering his form as a converted full-back. The Ukrainian has been sidelined since October with a knee injury but should find himself back in the starting XI upon his return — his value on Football Index has seen a sharp increase since Guardiola confirmed he is back in training.
8. Ilkay Gundogan
Transfer deal: £20m (from Borussia Dortmund in 2016)
Current Football Index value: £1.46
Gundogan has done brilliantly to overcome the injury issues that plagued his Dortmund and early City career and is now a reliable part of Guardiola’s midfield. The 29-year-old has been popping up with goals and assists for club and country this season, seeing his trade value steadily increase over the past few months.
7. Benjamin Mendy
Transfer deal: £52m (from Monaco in 2017)
Current Football Index value: £1.47
Mendy’s horrendous injury problems since joining City have made his £52m fee look even more astronomical. The Frenchman has started to get some more minutes under his belt this season and has seen a steady increase in his trade value since the summer as a result.
6. Rodri
Transfer deal: £62.8m (from Atletico Madrid in 2019)
Current Football Index value: £1.71
Rodri became City’s most expensive signing of all time in the summer and as a result, his Football Index value has soared. Guardiola gave his compatriot a glowing reference for his performance in City’s recent 4-1 win over Burnley and slowly but surely, the midfielder is looking like the perfect long-term replacement for Fernandinho.
5. Aymeric Laporte
Transfer deal: £57m (from Athletic Bilbao in 2018)
Current Football Index value: £1.76
Take one look at City’s defensive form without Laporte this season and you’ll see just how important the Frenchman is to the defending champions — they simply haven’t coped with his injury. Guardiola recently revealed the centre-back is finally on the road to recovery, in turn boosting his trade value to £1.76 per share — a handsome sum for a defender.
4. Riyad Mahrez
Transfer deal: £60m (from Leicester City in 2018)
Current Football Index value: £2.27
Mahrez has had to settle for a lot more time on the bench than he’s used to since moving from Leicester but lifted the Africa Cup of Nations title with Algeria in the summer and was named among the top 10 in the voting for the 2019 Ballon d’Or award. The forward’s value has seen a sharp increase in value as a result — no doubt also helped by his five goals and six assists across Premier League and Champions League fixtures this season, too.
3. Bernardo Silva
Transfer deal: £43.6m (from Monaco in 2017)
Current Football Index value: £2.32
Bernardo Silva has become one of Guardiola’s most important players over the past 12 months and as a result, has seen his share value fly up to £2.32 at the time of writing. Some recent, unfavourable media attention has seen his value dip slightly but Silva remains one of Man City’s most valuable players in the world of Football Index.
2. Gabriel Jesus
Transfer deal: £27 (from Palmeiras in 2017)
Current Football Index value: £2.69
Despite often having to sit behind Sergio Aguero in the pecking order, Gabriel Jesus has still managed to show just how lethal he is in front of goals since joining City in 2017, already scoring more than 50 goals for the club. With league titles and a Copa America crown already under his belt at just 22 years old, the sky really is the limit for Jesus, so it’s no surprise to see his value sitting at a meaty £2.69 per share at the time of writing.
1. Leroy Sane
Transfer deal: £37m (from Schalke in 2016)
Current Football Index value: £3.01
One of Guardiola’s first signings as Manchester City manager, Leroy Sane is also the most valuable to be brought into the club in terms of Football Index share value, at £3.01. Given his effectiveness from the bench or in the starting XI, this is no surprise, while persistent links to Bayern Munich continue to fuel his value despite being sidelined with a knee injury.
Who do we think are Guardiola’s top 10 City signings?
- Ederson
- Aymeric Laporte
- Bernardo Silva
- Kyle Walker
- Leroy Sane
- Gabriel Jesus
- Riyad Mahrez
- Ilkay Gundogan
- Oleksandr Zinchenko
- Rodri
Disagree with our top 10? Let us know who your picks would be in the comments section.
