Manchester City spent over £260m on new players for the 2025/26 season
Manchester City’s season ended in disappointing fashion on Tuesday evening, as Pep Guardiola’s side had to settle for a 1-1 draw away to Bournemouth. The result handed Arsenal the Premier League title with one match to spare, depriving neutral fans of a final day thriller this weekend.
placeholder image
Getty Images
Meanwhile, it looks like Pep Guardiola will be leaving the club at the end of the season, with ex-Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca ready to step into the hotseat and become the club’s first new manager in nearly a decade. It will be a time of real transition, and the pressure will be on the Italian to ensure the club keep up the stunning trophy-winning record they’ve enjoyed during Guardiola’s glorious reign.
As City lick their wounds from the Bournemouth result and begin to turn their thoughts to next season, we’ve taken a look back at every player the club signed over the past two transfer windows, and rated them based on how they fared in their debut campaign.
Rating every player Man City signed this season - Ait-Nouri to Reijnders
Rayan Ait-Nouri: £32m from Wolves - 6/10. City wasted no time getting down to business after losing out on the Premier League title to Liverpool last season, signing the Algerian gem in early June ready for the Club World Cup. He’s had a frustrating start to his career at the club, missing a significant portion of the season with an ankle injury, and being usurped by rising wonderkid star Nico O’Reilly.
Marcus Bettinelli: Undisclosed nominal fee from Chelsea - 5/10. Man City could have signed a dustpan and brush to fill the Bettinelli’s role - as long as it had a British passport. Like many other top Premier League clubs, City opted to fulfil their homegrown player obligations with a third-choice goalkeeper who will likely never play a game for the team.
Rayan Cherki: £34m from Lyon - 8/10. Eyebrows were raised when City signed a player known for his flair and creative spirit, given the heavily structured system used by Guardiola. He’s taken to the Premier League like a duck to water, however, racking up a highly impressive 12 assists in his first league campaign. He’ll be a key part of the project moving forward under Maresca.
Tijjani Reijnders: £46m from AC Milan - 6/10. It all started off so well, with the Dutch dynamo bagging a goal and assist on debut - vindicating the gamble made by many Fantasy Premier League players. The emergence of Cherki saw him phased out of the starting eleven however, and he could be set to leave the club after just one season as he looks to play more first team football.
Rating every player Man City signed this season - Trafford to Guehi
James Trafford: £31m from Burnley - 4/10. The Trafford situation all feels a bit Football Manager. Man City earmarked the England international as their new number one, brought him in, and then suddenly had the chance to sign one of the best goalkeepers in the world in Gianluigi Donnarumma - that’s an opportunity you can’t really turn down.
For Trafford, though, it’s been a hugely frustrating season, with the ex-Burnley stopper largely restricted to the role of cup goalkeeper. He’ll most likely move on this summer, with his expectations of replacing Ederson not being met. With Liverpool, Newcastle United, Chelsea and Aston Villa all on the lookout for a new ‘keeper, he won’t be short of offers.
Gianluigi Donnarumma: £26m from Paris Saint-Germain - 8/10. A formidable presence between the sticks, the Italian giant’s signing represented a serious coup for the club. He’s made a series of stunning stops throughout the campaign and largely silenced doubters concerned over his distribution skills with the ball at his feet. At 27-years-old, he still has his best years ahead of him, too.
Antoine Semenyo: £64m from Bournemouth - 9/10. A hefty transfer fee, yes, but he’s proven to be an excellent investment. The Ghana international - who could cause England some serious concern at this summer’s World Cup - looked at home from the moment he walked out at the Etihad following his arrival in January.
He’s been an absolute livewire in attack, tearing opposition defences to shreds with his direct dribbling and formidable pace. He also scored a beautiful goal to win an otherwise uneventful FA Cup final for City earlier this month.
Marc Guehi: £20m from Crystal Palace - 8/10. The England star was left heartbroken after his summer move failed to materialise, but he didn’t have long to wait, getting it in January instead. He’s slipped seamlessly into Guardiola’s back four, and while he’s had the odd defensive lapse, overall he’s been a stellar addition to the side, keeping things rock solid at the back.
Continue Reading