Top 5 big-money flops in Manchester City's history

Danilo

#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.