Three Manchester City Stars Named In Top-10 Most Expensive Players

While Manchester City have been criticised by some for splashing the cash on recruits over the years, one aspect that certainly goes criminally under the radar is how the club’s inch-perfect profiling of players leads to such players’ transfer valuations going through the roof over time.

For instance, a host of pundits infamously criticised Manchester City's £55 million signing of Kevin De Bruyne in the summer of 2015. Fast forward to 2022, and the Belgian’s status as arguably the best midfielder in the world for over half a decade means it is unlikely that Etihad officials would sanction one of their biggest assets’ sale for even double the amount at this present moment.

A similar pattern has emerged once again, as the latest edition of the CIES Football Observatory Post - which features their top-10 estimated transfer fee values for players worldwide - features a trio of Manchester City stars.

As per the list, Ruben Dias has the highest estimated value out of any centre-back in the world at a staggering €109 million at present.

In addition, Manchester City's most recent signing Erling Haaland (valued at €152.6 million) sits only behind Paris Saint-Germain’s superstar forward Kylian Mbappe (€205.6 million) and Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior (€185.3 million) as the most valuable player in world football.

Rangnick was asked to compare Greenwood with Erling Haaland (Image credit: PA)

Last but certainly not the least, Phil Foden is ranked sixth in the list, with the England international’s value estimated to be €124 million currently.

In the case of Ruben Dias, who was signed for a fee of £61.4 million in 2020, the Premier League champions have managed to almost double the value for a player who was not on the radar for several top European clubs in need for a central defender.

While the same cannot be said for Erling Haaland, it is worth noting that Pep Guardiola’s side showcased their patience in the market by choosing to wait to pay his £51 million release clause last month, which means his current estimated €152.6 million will only increase as he plays alongside some of the best players in the world at the Etihad Stadium from next season.

Despite Phil Foden being an academy graduate of Manchester City, the club’s gradual integration of the youngster - that was often much-maligned by several critics - has been worth the investment, as the Stockport-born attacker has been nurtured into one of the most valuable players on the planet.

While the Manchester City trio can be lauded for their top-drawer displays that have led them to be valued at such staggering figures, the club’s business and sporting acumen deserves plenty of credit as well.

CIES Football Observatory's top-10 estimated transfer values for players worldwide:

1. Kylian Mbappe (€205.6M)
2. Vinicius Jr. (€185.3M)
3. Erling Haaland (€152.6M)
4. Pedri (€135.1M)
5. Jude Bellingham (€133.7M)
6. Phil Foden (€124M)
7. Frenkie De Jong (€112.5M)
8. Luis Diaz (€110M)
9. Ruben Dias (€109.6M)
10. Ferran Torres (€109.5M)