Top 5 highest paid Manchester City players in 2018

Manchester City have been at the top of their game for some time now, thanks to the Abu Dhabi United Group's takeover of the club in 2008. Hefty sums of cash have been systematically pumped into the club since then, making Man City one of the richest clubs in the world.

With that money, they've been able to assemble a world-class team. Players are signed from all around the world and given huge wages-per-week for their services. If Manchester City are in for a player, other clubs know they don't tend to stand much of a chance, as City can easily outbid them.

Given that Premier League clubs are awarded around £100m just from TV rights, it puts them in a very advantageous position when negotiating to buy players. However, as far as wages are concerned, the teams are in a bit of a checkmate: agents of the players in the question know how much the club can afford, so they hike up the wages purposely to get the best possible deal for their man. It's not as if the club can say it's too much, because everyone knows the astronomical fees that are thrown around for fun in the Premier League.

With that said, let's take a look at Manchester City's top five highest paid players in 2018.

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#5 Kevin de Bruyne - £160,000-per-week

Kevin de Bruyne.

Despite his wages being as high as they are, one can't help but think he deserves more. De Bruyne controls the midfield for Manchester City and has been their star man for the past couple of seasons. He's a catalyst for destruction in the centre of the pitch, and can set up an attacking move with just one through ball. His links with Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling have put him in good stead for a long time, and the chemistry between the rest of the team is only growing stronger with time.

With his performances being so great as of late - especially after a splendid World Cup with Belgium - City might be prepared to line up a new contract offer that could see him become the highest paid player at the club. It would make sense to do so, considering just how great his contribution to the team is. And if the big clubs are invariably going to circle round him this summer, a new contract will deter them from going any further than admiring.

#4 David Silva - £160,000-per-week

David Silva.

Another player who deserves a higher salary is David Silva. Silva has been consistently great for eight years now - having joined Manchester City from Valencia in 2010 for £28m. The fact that he's now 32-years-old and still worth more (£30m) than he was when they first signed him is a testament to his outstanding ability.

You would think that the Spaniard would have lost his touch by now. He plays so frequently for City that any other player in his situation would be burnt out, yet Silva is still as good as he was way back when he was first purchased. His silky footwork is a sight to behold and is yet to be accurately defended against in the Premier League, which makes him a constant threat to the opposition. Silva, alongside the rest of City's attacking options, can be a thorn in the side of any team's defence with his vision to pick out a spectacular pass, or, if he wants, the skill to weave in-between two defenders and open up the space.

David Silva had a contract extension at the start of last season, but I don't doubt for a minute that he might be offered a new contract sooner than later, given just how good he's played for the club as of late.

#3 Raheem Sterling - £180,000-per-week

Raheem Sterling.

Since arriving from Liverpool for £49m in 2015, Sterling has been a force to be reckoned with on the right flank, but it's his end product that has let him down.

Raheem Sterling is perhaps one of the most inconsistent players in recent Premier League history. He is a sublime footballer on his day, but many of the chances that come his way tend to be wasted. Sterling is primarily a right-winger but has been utilised as an all-out striker in recent months - but is this a good decision, considering his shooting accuracy was just 39% last season, and he also missed 45 "big chances". Are these the stats of a "world-class" striker?

Based purely on the amount of chances Raheem Sterling can make, he is an asset to the Manchester City attack, which means that his wages are justified in the grand scheme of things.

#2 Riyad Mahrez - £200,000-per-week

Riyad Mahrez.

Manchester City's latest signing Riyad Mahrez will seriously bolster their attack for the upcoming Premier League campaign. He was signed from Leicester this summer for a fee of around £60m. There were many clubs that were rumoured to be interested in the 27-year-old, but City's offer of £200,000-per-week was undoubtedly the highest salary on the table, so it would have been an easy decision.

Mahrez was also linked with Man City in January, but the deal fell through as Leicester refused to part with the Algerian.

His salary gives him the title of the second highest paid player at City, but for how long will he hold it?

#1 Sergio Aguero - £220,000-per-week

Sergio Aguero.

As most of you expected, in at first place with a staggering £220,000-per-week is none other than Sergio Aguero. The Argentine has been scoring for fun at the Etihad for a number of years now, with his most memorable goal being the one in 2012 that won the Cityzens the Premier League title in the dying embers of the final game of the season against QPR.

Aguero was signed from Atletico Madrid in 2011 for £40m, in easily one of Man City's greatest transfers. At 30-years-old, he's now worth double that figure at £80m. Just last season, Aguero scored 21 goals in 25 appearances in the Premier League, then went on to score twice for Argentina in the World Cup before they were knocked out by France.

Aguero seems to be getting more clinical and agile with age, scoring goals whenever he feels like it and even setting up a few for his teammates here and there. It's no wonder he's the highest paid player at Man City - he needs to be if the Cityzens plan on keeping him there for another few years.