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In 2008, Manchester City witnessed a change of ownership, as the former Prime Minister of Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra handed over the reign of the club to Sheikh Mansoor-led City Football Group - a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi United Group.
The new owners heralded their arrival with unprecedented oomph, as they set about to break the British transfer record by buying Brazilian star Robinho from Real Madrid, for a reported fee of about €41–42 million. What's astonishing, though, is that the deal for Robinho was completed the very day the club's ownership changed hands.
Clearly, the new owners meant nothing but business, as they continued to spend hefty amounts of money to bring in star names. Over the last decade, the club has grown by leaps and bounds under the luxurious guidance of their deep-pocketed middle-eastern owners.
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In 2011-12, just about two years or so after the change, City won their first Premier League title, before adding another a couple of years later in the 2013-14 season. The change was working and big things were coming.
While the next 3 seasons have only produced two English League Cups and little else, a number of changes have been made - some silent, while others noisy. Pep Guardiola - The man with the golden touch - was brought in before last season began.
City have generously participated in, and have made the most of almost every transfer window in recent times. Over the past 5 years, City have spent a staggering total of €948 million (€116 million in 2013-14, €88.3 million in 2014-15, €214.9 million in 2015-16, and €213 million in 2016-17) to lure prominent names to the club, with a third of it being spent last summer alone (€315.8 million in 2017-18).
Subsequently, several world-class players came, saw, and some even conquered. Ever since 2008, City have become a permanent feature among the 'big boys' of English football.
All that expenditure had to culminate with something extraordinary - Cut to the present day, and City look like they've forgotten what it's like to lose. The Guardiola-led side have been almost flawless as they've trampled pretty much every team they've come up against.
Destined to win their third Premier League title this season, Pep Guardiola's magical touch may have come good, but that certainly isn't all there is to it. The club is currently represented by some fantastic players who have collectively astounded the world.
All great things come at a price, and when extraordinary players play for a club known to be generous with its spending, it's only obvious that they'll be rewarded well for their efforts.
And thus, without further ado, we take a look at 20 first-team Manchester City stars, and just how much money they are paid on a weekly basis:
#20 Ederson (Goalkeeper) - £65,000/week
Contracted until: 30/06/2022
Signed from Benfica for a fee of €40 million as the second most expensive goalkeeper of all-time before the start of the ongoing season, Ederson quickly displaced first-choice keeper Claudio Bravo before establishing himself as a permanent entity between the sticks.
So far, he has played all 31 Premier League games and 7 UEFA Champions League games for the Citizens this season, keeping 14 and 7 clean sheets in both tournaments, respectively. The fact that Manchester City have managed to run riot like they have this season can also be largely attributed to Ederson's solidity at the back.
Absolutely solid, isn't he?
#19 Aymeric Laporte (Defender) - £65,000/week
Contracted until: 30/06/2023
Newest Manchester City signing, Aymeric Laporte, rose to prominence with some consistently excellent performances with Athletic Bilbao, before he caught the eye of Pep Guardiola.
In January 2018, a reported fee of £57 million was paid to the La Liga outfit in order to procure the services of the French defender.
Since his arrival at the club, Laporte has played every alternate Premier League game and has even made a start in the UEFA Champions League. With Vincent Kompany's Manchester City seemingly reaching its culmination, Laporte could be the perfect successor to the Belgian.
Worth the money, eh?
#18 Claudio Bravo (Goalkeeper) - £80,000/week
Contracted until: 30/06/2020
Ederson's arrival seems to have permanently downgraded Claudio Bravo into the club's second-choice goalkeeper. The Chilean shot-stopper has only made 11 appearances in all competitions this season, with 9 of them coming in domestic tournaments.
At the age of 34, he's almost certainly never going to be the club's go-to goalkeeper again. However, he still earns a hefty weekly wage at the club and will finish the on-going season with the Premier League winners medal.
The former Barcelona goalkeeper is no pushover
#17 Danilo (Defender) - £80,000/week
Contracted until: 30/06/2022
Purchased from Real Madrid ahead of the ongoing season, Danilo seems to have quickly settled down at the club, making a total of 33 appearances in all competition. Considering that he was injured for a brief spell, those are some pretty impressive numbers.
More importantly, Danilo has made 6 UEFA Champions League appearances, which means that the Brazilian has already won Pep Guardiola's confidence, and will look to capitalize on it next season as well.
What an excellent defender!
#16 Benjamin Mendy (Defender) - £90,000/week
Contracted until: 30/06/2023
The Ligue 1-winning former AS Monaco star was also brought in as a part of the club's overhaul earlier in the summer, before the start of the season, for a reported fee of £52 million.
However, a tragic injury against Crystal Palace earlier in the season saw the Frenchman rupture his anterior cruciate ligament - allowing him to only make 5 appearances in all competitions this season.
Keep an eye on the 23-year-old next season though, as he's bound to be raring to go.
He can play, eh?
#15 Fabian Delph (Defender) - £90,000/week
Contracted until: 30/06/2020
After making a name for himself at Aston Villa, Fabian Delph turned down the opportunity to captain the side, instead choosing to move to Manchester City for a reported fee of £8 million in 2015.
Since then, he has failed to completely establish a place for himself in the first team, making just 63 appearances in all competitions across 3 seasons. This season, Benjamin Mendy's injury has forced Pep Guardiola to field Delph as left-back, and the Englishman went on to make 14 consecutive starts. Expect him to be neglected once Mend returns, though.
What a tough tackler this man is!
#14 Gabriel Jesus (Forward) - £90,000/week
Contracted until: 30/06/2021
Two extremely productive seasons at Palmeiras in the Serie A brought Manchester City calling for Brazilian striker, Gabriel Jesus. Subsequently, in August 2016, Jesus signed for the Citizens for a fee believed to be around £27 million, plus add-ons.
The 21-year-old is touted to be placed ahead of Sergio Aguero on Pep Guardiola's pecking order, and with time on his side, expect this Brazilian to achieve greatness in the years to come.
Can you believe he's just 21?
#13 Leroy Sane (Forward) - £90,000/week
Contracted until: 30/06/2021
A large contributor to Manchester City's indomitable run this season, Leroy Sane has been one of the cylinders the Citizens have continuously fired on, this campaign. He joined the club ahead of last season, and put in a number of impressive performances.
This season, he has exceeded all expectations, scoring a total of 13 goals, and assisting a further total of 13 more in all competitions. The German international has been in fine form, and aged just 22, is bound to have an exceptional career going forward.
Pretty magical, don't you think?
#12 John Stones (Defender) - £100,000/week
Contracted until: 30/06/2022
Before the beginning of last season, a lot of light was shed on then Everton defender John Stones, as Manchester City were reportedly interested in signing him for a whopping fee of £47.5 million.
Stones, who was 22 at the time, was relatively unheard of, and City's decision to spend heavily on him was widely criticised. The Englishman was eventually signed, and immediately became a fixture in City's first team. In the last two seasons, Stones has already made a total of 68 appearances in all competitions and looks like a solid addition to City's backline. Keep an eye on this one in the years to come.
The boy sure can defend...
#11 Kyle Walker (Defender) - £100,000/week
Contracted until: 30/06/2022
After spending a total of 8 seasons with Tottenham Hotspur (of which 2 seasons saw his go out on loan to Sheffield United, Queens Park Rangers, and Aston Villa), Kyle Walker was purchased by Manchester City in July 2017, for an initial fee of £45 million, which could potentially rise to £50 million, including bonuses.
43 games for Manchester City later, Kyle Walker seems to have become an indispensable part of Pep Guardiola's outfit, and at just 27, could continue to be so for the next few years at least.
What's faster? Kyle Walker or his thoughts?
#10 Vincent Kompany (Defender) - £120,000/week
Contracted until: 30/06/2019
Two-time Premier League winner and one of the longest-serving players at the club, Vincent Kompany has been an excellent servant to the club, having spent nearly 10 full seasons with the Citizens.
In the 2011-12 season, Kompany was named the captain of the side and went on to lead the men from Manchester to their first ever Premier League title in the same season.
An excellent defender and leader, Kompany's contract expires this season, and no extension has been signed yet.
Club legend, indeed!
#9 Nicolas Otamendi (Defender) - £120,000/week
Contracted until: 30/06/2022
Ending his Sevilla career by refusing to train with the team, lest it affect his chances of being sold, Nicolas Otamendi eventually completed a move to Manchester City in September 2015 for a reported fee of £28.5 million.
Since then, Otamendi has been on the best centre-backs in the Premier League, and has been a major bulwark at the back for the Citizens this season, thereby allowing them to play a free-flowing aggressive brand of football.
Solid, isn't he?
#8 Ilkay Gündogan (Midfielder) - £120,000/week
Contracted until: 30/06/2020
4 successful seasons with Borussia Dortmund earned Ilkay Gundogan a move to Premier League giants Manchester City in June 2016. The midfielder cost a fee of £20 million but failed to establish a spot for himself in the starting 11 last season.
This season, he has made 38 appearances in all competitions - which is more than twice the number of games he played last season. Expect him to grow from strength to strength in the future, alongside the likes of Leroy Sane, Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne.
Such a joy to watch when in form...
#7 Bernando Silva (Midfielder) - £120,000/week
Contracted until: 30/06/2022
Also a part of last season's Ligue 1-winning AS Monaco side, Bernardo Silva was one of the most intensely-chased stars alongside Kylian Mbappe and Thomas Lemar. Eventually, Manchester City tied him down to a five-year deal after paying a fee of about €50 million for the Portuguese midfielder.
Owing to the unbelievable his teammates Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling have been enjoying this season, Bernardo Silva's playing time has certainly been limited, but the 23-year-old has made the most of his opportunities and could become a key part of the team in the future.
Promising, indeed.
#6 Fernandinho (Midfielder) - £150,000/week
Contracted until: 30/06/2020
Manchester City's midfield mainstay, Fernandinho, has now been at the club for 5 seasons and has regularly featured in each of those seasons. In fact, he has made 42+ appearances in each of those 5 seasons.
The midfielder's solidity is now perfectly complemented by Kevin De Bruyne's brilliance in midfield, as the duo has wreaked havoc over most other teams this season. The Brazilian is the team's sixth-highest paid star and will look to finish the season with a flourish.
He's the perfect defensive presence, isn't he?
#5 Raheem Sterling (Forward) - £180,000/week
Contracted until: 30/06/2020
Former Liverpool star, Raheem Sterling, was always a promising talent. Ever since he stepped foot on the pitch at Anfield, a lot has been expected of him. Over the last 4 seasons, Sterling has scored 10+ goals, suggesting that he was beginning to deliver the performances expected of him.
This season, the Englishman seems to have elevated his game to the next level altogether, as he has been in scintillating form, scoring 21 goals from 38 appearances in all competitions. Notably, he mustered as many goals in two whole seasons before that.
The 23-year-old has been one of City's finest players this season and is also their fifth-highest paid player.
Raheem Sterling can be simply electrifying, while on song.
#4 Yaya Toure (Midfielder) - £220,000/week
Contracted until: 30/06/2018
7 titles in 3 years with La Liga giants Barcelona earned Yaya Toure a £24 million move to Manchester City in 2010. Since then, Toure has become a club legend of sorts, winning 2 Premier League titles, 1 FA Cup title, and 2 League Cups.
At the ripe old age of 34, Yaya is still an important member of the squad but has seen his playing time reduce drastically. His contract expires in about a couple of months, and he looks set to finally leave the club.
We will miss you, Yaya
#3 David Silva (Midfielder) - £220,000/week
Contracted until: 30/06/2020
David Silva joined Manchester City in 2010 after 4 impressive La Liga seasons with Valencia. Since then, Silva has been a tireless workhorse at the club, also winning 2 Premier League titles, 1 FA Cup and 3 League Cups.
The Spaniard has made a staggering total of 338 appearances for the Citizens in 8 seasons, and has been extremely influential this season as well.
Personal problems have seen him flit in and out of the side all season, but his performances have consistently remained applause-worthy.
David Silva - Manchester City's resident magician, ladies and gentlemen.
#2 Sergio Aguero (Forward) - £250,000/week
Contracted until: 30/06/2020
101 goals in 234 appearances for Atletico Madrid saw Manchester City raid the Rojiblancos for their Argentine striker and his services in 2011.
Signing a five-year contract, Aguero soon took the league by storm, scoring 25+ goals in every season, but one.
7 seasons later, Aguero has now scored 199 goals in 289 appearances for Manchester City, and is now the club's all-time leading goalscorer. World-class, indeed!
There's just no stopping Sergio Aguero on his day
Also read - Arsenal: Weekly wages of first-team stars revealed
#1 Kevin De Bruyne (Midfielder) - £350,000/week
Contracted until: 30/06/2023
Touted by many as the best midfielder in the world at the moment, Kevin De Bruyne has been nothing short of sensational this season.
The former Chelsea star moved to City from Wolfsburg in 2015, for a reported fee of £55 million. Since then, he has only grown tremendously and has bossed the Premier League around this season.
One of the leading contenders for the PFA Player of the Year award, De Bruyne has been in scintillating form, and undeniably deserves every penny he is paid.
Kevin De Bruyne is a truly blessed footballer!
Source: Total Sportek
