Published 17:01 IST, September 28th 2020
Man City have spent nearly half a BILLION on defenders for Guardiola after Ruben Dias move
The confirmation of the Ruben Dias transfer means that Man City have now spent almost £500 million when it comes to defenders for Pep Guardiola.
With news of the Ruben Dias transfer being confirmed by Benfica on Sunday, the 23-year-old centre-back becomes the latest acquisition by Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. The Benfica star is the second defender to make the move to Man City this summer, with Nathan Ake earlier joining from Bournemouth. Multiple reports covering Man City transfer news had earlier mentioned how the club was on the lookout for a partner for Aymeric Laporte. However, the confirmation of the Ruben Dias transfer now means that Pep Guardiola has now spent almost £500 million on defenders since he arrived at the club.
Also Read: Man City Transfer News: Ruben Dias' £65m Transfer CONFIRMED After Shambolic Leicester Loss
Ruben Dias transfer announced
Benfica announced the Ruben Dias transfer after Man City’s 5-2 loss to Leicester City. The club revealed that Ruben Dias will move to Man City in a deal initially worth £65m plus potential add-ons. Along with the confirmation of the Ruben Dias transfer, Benfica also announced hat Man City defender Nicolas Otamendi will move to Benfica in a separate deal worth £14m.
Pep Guardiola has spent a fortune on Man City defenders
With the Ruben Dias transfer all but done, a Forbes report has revealed how Pep Guardiola has now spent close to £500 million in an effort to shore up his side’s defence. While Man City have had a solid defensive record in Pep Guardiola’s tenure overall, the club has seen many defenders come and go under the Catalan.
The majority of the defenders have failed to settle in at the club, with many Man City defenders not featuring consistently for Pep Guardiola. The only exception, in this case, has been French centre-back Aymeric Laporte. The 26-year-old has been a resounding success for Man City ever since he arrived from Athletic Bilbao in July 2018 for £57 million.
Man City defenders signed over the years
Other defenders brought in by Pep Guardiola at Man City include Nathan Ake for £41 million in August, Kyle Walker for £45 million and Benjamin Mendy for £52 million in July 2017 amongst others. Walker, Ake and Mendy all started the game against Leicester City along with young defender Eric Garcia. However, the quartet failed to impress with the Man City defenders giving away three penalties during the game.
Several others have been brought in by Pep Guardiola in recent years in an attempt to improve the Man City side defensively. While players like Danilo (£26.5million) and John Stones (£47.5 million) came in for huge fees in 2017 and 2016 respectively, the duo has failed to perform according to the Man City manager’s expectations. Joao Cancelo, another defender signed by Man City for £60 million last year has found opportunities hard to come by.
Image Credits: Manchester City Instagram, Ruben Dias Instagram, AP
Updated 17:01 IST, September 28th 2020