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Reigning Premier League champions Manchester City have had some of the world’s best talents in their ranks in the last decade or so, but there are many popular names who you may not have known were players at the English club at some point in their careers.
While the likes of Denis Suarez and Jerome Boateng are the more obvious names, we will take a look at five players who you would not believe were once at Manchester City.
Also Read: Real Madrid vs Manchester City prediction, preview, team news, and more | Champions League 2019-20
#5 Pablo Mari
Arsenal’s latest signing Pablo Mari was a Manchester City player for three years between 2016 and 2019. The centre-back was roped in by the Premier League giants after impressing with then-Spanish second division outfit Gimnàstic. He was immediately loaned out to sister club Girona before one-year spells with Dutch club NAC Breda and Spain’s Deportivo La Coruna.
Mari did not make a single appearance for the Citozens and is considered a “flop signing” by many of the club’s supporters. However, the defender rebuilt his career at Brazilian side Flamengo where he became the first Spaniard to win the Copa Libertadores, South America’s most coveted club competition.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, who spent three years at City as an assistant manager, snapped up his fellow countryman in the January transfer window.
A technically-gifted left-footed centre-back, Mari is excellent on-the-ball, strong in the air and isn’t afraid of lunging into a tackle. Although his physicality and positional intelligence is unmatched, he has a significant lack of pace. Pep Guardiola is extremely demanding of his centre-halves which is probably why he didn’t make it at the Manchester club but we are yet to see if he can prove the Catalan wrong with his much-anticipated loan spell at Arsenal.
#4 Loris Karius
Infamous Liverpool keeper Loris Karius, to much surprise, was a product of the Manchester City youth team. The English club scouted him in Germany's U-16 game against Azerbaijan after which they were quick to put forth a contract. Karius went onto play for the U-18 and the U-21 teams at City but could not break through to the first team.
Karius was sent on loan to German outfit Mainz where he played for their reserve team. After impressing with his performances, the move was made permanent and he became a regular started with the senior team. In the 2015/16 Bundesliga season, the keeper kept nine clean-sheets and saved two penalties in a remarkable campaign. As a result, he was voted as the division’s second-best goalie behind only Manuel Neuer in a poll involving 235 fellow Bundesliga players.
The German shot-stopper, however, tarnished his reputation at City’s domestic rivals Liverpool. Karius is ingloriously remembered for many appalling performances during his time in England, especially in the 2018 Champions League final against Real Madrid. He was deemed at fault for two of the three goals the Reds conceded on the day: a low throw which deflected off Karim Benzema’s foot and the mishandling of Gareth Bale’s long-ranger.
After his nightmare spell in Jurgen Klopp’s side, he was sent out to Turkish heavyweights Besiktas on a two-year loan where he is currently playing.
#3 Kieran Trippier
Fondly remembered for his opening free-kick in the 2018 World Cup semi-final against Croatia, England right-back Kieran Tripper remarkably spent more than a decade at Manchester City in his youth.
Hailing from a family of Manchester United fans, Bury-born Tripper chose to join rivals City at the tender age of nine. He significantly progressed through the ranks at the club, signing his first professional contract in 2007 at the age of 15. In the following season, he became a regular starter in City’s youth team and played a key role in their FA Youth Cup win. To reward his performances, Trippier was included in several of the club’s pre-season tours. He most notably featured for the club in a prestigious friendly against Barcelona.
For further development, City loaned the full-back out to Barnsley and then Burnley. It was at Turf Moor that Trippier really excelled as he won their Player of the Year award in only his first season. The Clarets made his move permanent and after three impressive campaigns, Tottenham Hotspur snapped him up in a reported £3.5 million move.
Trippier was second choice to Kyle Walker during his initial seasons at the north London club but the latter’s move to Manchester City handed him a more starting role. After four seasons with Spurs, the Englishman, in a largely surprising move, joined Spanish giants Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2019.
Essentially, Trippier is a brilliant crosser of the ball often found linking up with Harry Kane during his Spurs days. He is defensively powerful, athletic and also possesses a significant attacking threat. Trippier’s set-pieces, however, are his biggest strength.
#2 Kasper Schmeichel
Son of legendary Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, Kasper Schmeichel has replicated his father in becoming one of the best in his position in the English top-flight.
The 33-year-old will complete a decade at Leicester City at the end of next season and will go down as one of the greats at the club after leading them to that historic Premier League triumph in the 2015/16 season.
However, like his father, who was ill-famed for his move to bitter rivals Manchester City, Kasper also started out his career in the Eastlands. In his four years at the City of Manchester Stadium, the Copenhagen-born keeper only made eight league appearances for the senior team. This is because he was remarkably loaned out on five different occasions to Darlington, Bury, Falkirk, Cardiff and Coventry before his permanent spells at Notts County and Leeds United.
Schmeichel’s determination and ambition was the reason he quickly moved out of Manchester City. Being an understudy to Joe Hart would have been a great prospect for the Danish goalie but he wanted first team action and hence undertook different ventures before becoming a Premier League hero like his father.
#1 Adrien Rabiot
French midfielder Adrien Rabiot, before making his name at Paris Saint-Germain and now Juventus, was a budding academy player at Manchester City. Rabiot was only 12 when he spent a few months with the reigning Premier League champions. Since then, he has been linked with a move back to the blue half of Manchester several times.
Two years after his stint at City, Rabiot returned to his home country to join Paris Saint-Germain’s youth team where he impressed greatly. The French club had manager Carlo Ancelotti at the helm that time who took no time to promote him to the senior team ahead of the 2012/13 season.
At just 17 years of age, Rabiot made his debut for Paris Saint-Germain and went onto lift an incredible 18 major trophies during his eight seasons at the Parc des Princes. His trophy cabinet includes five Ligue 1 titles and two domestic trebles in the 2015/16 and the 2017/18 season.
The 24-year-old was handed his France debut in 2016 after representing the 2018 World Cup winners at every possible youth level. Last year, after running down his contract with the Parisians, Rabiot joined Italian giants Juventus on a free transfer.
Rabiot is a hard-working central midfielder: quick in possession, strong on the ball and possessing defensive qualities. He is a composed passer, dribbler and likes to make late attacking runs in the box with an eye to score. He is one of the very few versatile, modern-day midfielders, and one can only wonder what he could have been like in this current Manchester City team.
