da spicy bet： Erling Haaland, Yaya Toure, and Sergio Aguero all paid off their transfer fees by firing Man City to glory – but who is the club's greatest signing?
da betway： After firing Manchester City to the treble in his debut campaign, Erling Haaland has been a roaring success since signing for Borussia Dortmund last year. But he has still only had one year at the Etihad Stadium and the Norwegian has a long way to go before he can be talked off as the club's best ever signing.
Colin Bell has a stand at the stadium named after him while three members of City's first Premier League title winning side have statues outside the ground. But which player is the club's greatest signing of all? GOAL ranks the club's 10 best ever transfers…
Getty10Shaun Goater
City were on the precipice of disaster when former Manchester United striker Goater arrived from Bristol City for £510,000 in 1998. He couldn't stop them from being relegated to the third tier – the lowest point in the club's history – and City needed to bounce back quickly.
Goater became the spearhead of back-to-back promotions, scoring 50 goals in two seasons as City made a stunning return to the Premier League.
His most iconic moment came in the final Manchester derby at Maine Road in 2002, when he scored twice in a 3-1 victory – the first win against Sir Alex Ferguson's side in 13 years. With 103 goals in 211 appearances, Goater's role in City's history cannot be underestimated.
AdvertisementGetty Images9Pablo Zabaleta
The final signing before the Sheikh Mansour-era began, it was spirit and desire that made Zabaleta such a success in his nine years at the club.
Mark Hughes was brought to City because of his talent-spotting ability, and no player epitomised his eye for raw quality more than Zabaleta, who cost just £6m when joining from Espanyol. It became almost regulation for the Argentine to leave the pitch with a bandage around his head or bloody nose, such was his commitment.
But that was matched with a huge amount of talent, as he won his battle with Micah Richards to become the first choice right-back under both Roberto Mancini and Manuel Pellegrini. After 333 appearances, two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and two League Cups, Zabaleta left for West Ham on a free transfer, twice returning to rapturous welcomes.
Getty Images8Carlos Tevez
Tevez became a cult figure at City before he had even kicked a ball after the way he ditched Manchester United to move five miles down the road. City announced the signing with their famous "Welcome To Manchester" billboard – a dig at the fact that Old Trafford is outside the city – which riled Sir Alex Ferguson and sparked a tense rivalry.
United fans had wanted Tevez to stay after his two years at the club, but as talks stalled, City pounced and, in 2011, the Argentine helped them to their first trophy in 35 years when they beat Stoke City in the FA Cup final.
City won the league title the following season, but it wasn't all plain sailing, with Tevez disappearing for more than four months after a bust-up with boss Roberto Mancini. He celebrated his return, however, with a now-iconic golf swing goal celebration after being pictured playing golf during his hiatus.
Getty7Erling Haaland
Haaland arrived at City with an already astonishing strike rate but after a rusty debut in the Community Shield, some wondered whether he would be as prolific in the Premier League. He crushed any doubts with two goals on his league debut against West Ham and barely looked back.
The Norwegian sent long-standing records by greats such as Mohamed Salah, Alan Shearer and Andy Cole tumbling on his way to scoring 36 times in his debut season, finishing the campaign with a jaw-dropping 52 goals in 53 matches in all competitions.
Most importantly, he helped City ended their long wait to win the Champions League in his first campaign with the club, embracing the fact that they had signed him to finally land their holy grail. The £51 million City paid for him already looks like a bargain.