Ranking the 5 biggest sales in Manchester City history

KDB is Manchester City's most expensive signing
KDB is Manchester City's most expensive signing

#3 Shaun Wright-Philips | Manchester City to Chelsea (€31.5 million) | 2005

Being the son of England's renowned footballer Ian Wright, Shaun Wright-Philips had huge boots to fill. Shaun was picked up by Manchester City when he was 17.

Shaun Wright-Philips came to Manchester City at the age of 17
Shaun Wright-Philips came to Manchester City at the age of 17

As a player known for his pace, Shaun Wright-Philips, was deployed in a relatively new position of high-pressing wing-back in that era by manager Kevin Keegan. The gamble worked for both as City's performances improved and Shaun Wright-Philips won consecutive Manchester City's Young Player of the Year awards four times.

His growing fame earned him a ticket to his native, London, with Chelsea. The €31.5 million move was massive back in 2005. However, the former England international struggled to find his form at Stamford Bridge and eventually made a return to Manchester City.

Shaun remained with the Sky Blues until 2011 before moving to QPR.


#2 Danilo | Manchester City to Juventus (€37 million) | 2019

If it wasn't for Dani Carvajal's presence within the squad, Danilo would've been Real Madrid's number one right-back option. The Brazilian full-back possesses massive talent and has always been under the radar of some top clubs across Europe.

Danilo is one of the strongest full-backs in Europe at the moment
Danilo is one of the strongest full-backs in Europe at the moment

The former Los Blancos star fell under Pep Guardiola's eyes, who immediately brought him to the Etihad. After facing an increasing competition from João Cancelo and Kyle Walker, Danilo chose Juventus as his next home.

The profitable move earned City €37 million in total. Danilo remains one of the key players in Turin at the moment.


#1 Leroy Sané | Manchester City to Bayern Munich (€45 million) | 2020

One of the most high-profile transfers in recent years saw Leroy Sané move back to his country to join Bayern Munich. The impending switch, which was delayed due to the German's ACL injury that was picked up during the Community Shield match vs Liverpool, took place in 2020 only after his recovery.

Sané is Bayern Munich's second-most expensive signing
Sané is Bayern Munich's second-most expensive signing

The €45 million move is the biggest sale in the history of Manchester City and the second-most expensive (after Lucas Hernández's €80 million move) signing by Bayern Munich.

Sané was desperately wanted by the Bundesliga heavyweights who were looking for players to fill the void left by Robben and Ribery. In addition, the sale comes with add-on options that could potentially raise the fee to a total of €60 million.

This ends our list of Manchester City's top five sales. Stay tuned for more such articles.

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Edited by Arnav Kholkar
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