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Manchester City have spent more money than any other Premier League team in the last ten years, and unsurprisingly, not all of their transfers have worked out well.
For a club of their size and resources, Manchester City can afford to sign players and let them leave if the player fails to make an impact. Under Pep Guardiola, the club have had a clear ideology and have signed players to fit that blueprint.
There have been some players who have failed to adapt to life under Guardiola as well and fit that specific approach. So without further ado, let’s take a look at five of the biggest flops in Manchester City's history:
#1 Eliaquim Mangala - £40.5 million
Manchester City signed Eliaquim Mangala for a fee of £40.5 million in 2014, which back then was a record for a defender. Mangala was then one of the most sought after defenders in Europe because of his strong displays for FC Porto.
After his arrival, the Frenchman simply failed to acclimatise to the style of the Premier League. While he was one of the best defenders physically, his distribution was poor.
His decision making was also pretty average at times, and he gave the ball away or was in the wrong position too often. Pep Guardiola’s arrival was the final nail in the coffin as the Spaniard wanted good ball-playing centre-backs.
Mangala was eventually allowed to leave for free in 2019 after a couple of loan spells at Valencia and Everton and is currently playing for Valencia in La Liga.
#2 Wilfried Bony - £29 million
Another player who looked out of place at Manchester City was Wilfried Bony. The Ivorian had a good spell for Swansea City and there were spells where he just couldn’t stop scoring.
However, Swansea used him for hold-up play to suit their style of counter-attacking football, and that was never going to happen under Manuel Pellegrini at Manchester City.
After scoring a whopping 39 goals in 96 appearances for Swansea, Bony struggled to find the back of the net at Manchester City, and managed just 11 goals in 46 appearances for the Sky Blues.
Bony never got to play under Pep Guardiola and he later admitted it was something he wanted to do, but considering his strengths and Guardiola’s system, it may not have worked out.
He was eventually sold to Swansea City, but struggled to replicate his previous form. Bony is currently a free agent.
#3 Danilo - £27 million
Danilo had a strange spell at Manchester City. Despite arriving as an attacking right-back who could burst forward and create an impact in the final third, he was often used as a makeshift left-back and a midfielder and could never really convince in any of those roles.
The Brazilian, like Mangala, rose to prominence at Porto, and earned a move to Real Madrid. However, he rarely put in consistent displays for Los Blancos, and moved to Manchester City in the summer of 2017, when they spent nearly £150 million on new players.
From the onset, it never looked like he was going to be a first-choice player. It didn’t make much sense to sign an accomplished right-back like Kyle Walker and Danilo in the same window, but Manchester City went ahead doing it anyway.
Eventually, Danilo’s inconsistent displays saw him fall down the pecking order and he moved to Juventus in the summer of 2019.
#4 Benjamin Mendy - £51.75 million
Benjamin Mendy arrived for a massive fee in 2017 as Manchester City spent a lot of money to add some freshness to their back four.
The Frenchman put in some stellar displays for Monaco the season before, helping them reach the semi-finals of the Champions League, knocking out Manchester City in the process.
After a bright start, Mendy was eventually exposed for his lack of defensive prowess. Guardiola has had some great full-backs playing under him in his managerial career, and as an attacking force, Mendy is pretty good.
However, the Frenchman was targeted by several teams for his defensive frailties as he was often found out of position and made silly challenges more often than not. Mendy has made just six appearances this season and is currently behind Oleksandr Zinchenko and Joao Cancelo in the pecking order.
#5 Stevan Jovetic - £23.4 million
Stevan Jovetic arrived at Manchester City at a time when they had no shortage of forwards. He was given his opportunities, but he just could not take them.
The Montenegrin had a couple of good seasons at Fiorentina, and moved to Manchester City for a big fee of around £23.4 million, but was hampered by niggling injuries and inconsistent form.
Jovetic joined Manchester City in 2013, and managed just three Premier League goals that season. The following season, he made a bright start but was used in a wider role after failing to impress as a centre-forward. He finished the 2014-15 season with just five goals in 17 appearances.
The forward had a loan spell after struggling at Manchester City and was eventually sold to Inter Milan in 2017.
