Manchester City’s most expensive sales ever

Manchester City It is famous for its purchasing power after the Abu Dhabi United Group acquired it in 2008, and it has won everything under it. Pep Guardiola.

Jack Grealish is the club’s biggest ever addition at a cost of £100m, while star striker Erling Haaland looks to be a bargain of just over £50m.

However, those at the Etihad Stadium have also brought in some big fees for some star players in recent years, with Cole Palmer’s move to Chelsea something City arguably regret.

Here’s a list of Manchester City’s most expensive departures ever, with a detailed look at the top ten.

10

Kelechi Iheanacho

£25 million to Leicester in 2017

Eight years before full-back Yann Couto, Manchester City sold striker Kelechi Iheanacho for a fee of £25m.

The Nigerian scored 21 goals in 64 matches at the Etihad Stadium, however, in search of regular playing time, he signed for the Foxes where he made over 230 appearances.

He won the FA Cup for Leicester, while City were happy with the cash after bringing the striker through their academy.

9

Riyad Mahrez

30 million pounds sterling for Al Hilal 2023

After winning the treble with Manchester City in the 2022/23 season, winger Riyad Mahrez moved from Manchester to Saudi Arabia.

Mahrez was 32 when Al Hilal called, and City recovered half of the £60m Leicester paid for the right winger in 2018.

8

Oleksandr Zinchenko

£30m for Arsenal in 2022

Full-back Oleksandr Zinchenko has made over 125 appearances for Manchester City after joining in 2016 from FC Ufa.

Zinchenko costs just £1.8m, so he will make a huge profit when the Ukrainian is sold to Arsenal. It has proven to be a wise decision, with the left-back struggling to make the same impact at the Emirates Stadium.

7

Danilo

£34.1m for Juventus in 2019

Brazilian full-back Danilo arrived from Real Madrid in Guardiola’s first season and will make 60 appearances for Manchester City.

He left for Juventus in 2019 after winning back-to-back Premier League titles, two UEFA Cups and an FA Cup, with City turning a profit in the process.

6

Cole Palmer

£42.5m for Chelsea in 2023

A sale that Man City looks set to regret for a long time is academy graduate Cole Palmer.

When Manchester City accepted Chelsea’s £42.5m bid for the attacking midfielder in 2023, it looked as if it was a wise decision that would help Financial Fair Play.

However, Palmer has gone from strength to strength at Stamford Bridge and is now viewed as one of the best creative strikers in world football.

5

Leroy Sane

£44.7m for Bayern 2020

Leroy Sane arrived at the Etihad Stadium in 2016 for £37m and made a huge impact as Manchester City’s winger, with his blistering pace terrifying full-backs in the Premier League.

The German won two league titles with City and returned to his homeland with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich four years later, with the Blues making money off the striker.

4

Gabriel Jesus

£45m for Arsenal in 2022

Like Zinchenko, Gabriel Jesus also moved from Manchester City to Arsenal in 2022, with the Brazilian costing the Gunners more at £45m.

Jesus scored 95 goals in 236 matches with City, winning four Premier League titles. It cost the Blues around £27m, meaning those at the Etihad made a healthy profit despite selling to a rival.

3

Ferran Torres

£46.7m for Barcelona 2021

Ferran Torres’s stay in Manchester was short and sweet, most of his 18-month stay at the Etihad during the pandemic and playing behind closed doors, so City fans never got to see the striker up close.

The Spaniard has caught the eye in England, so much so that Barcelona were willing to pay £46.7m for his services at the end of 2021.

2

Raheem Sterling

£47.5m for Chelsea, 2022

Raheem Sterling spent seven years as a Manchester City player, winning four Premier League titles at the Etihad Stadium, becoming a club legend.

The winger cost City just under £50m from Liverpool in 2015, so recouping the majority of that fee when Chelsea came calling was seen as smart business.

1

Julian Alvarez

£64.4m for Atletico Madrid 2024

At the top of the list as Manchester City’s most expensive sale ever is striker Julian Alvarez, who played second fiddle to Haaland for large parts of his career with the Etihad.

The Argentine won the World Cup while at City and impressed when given the opportunity under Guardiola.

However, those at the Etihad were unable to reject an initial bid of £64.4m from Atletico Madrid, and that sum could rise to £81.5m with add-ons.