Every City fan with a pulse is excited about the future following the summer transfer window. Enzo Fernandez, Elliot Anderson, Ayyoub Bouaddi, Iliman Ndiaye and others are already lighting up the highlight videos.
But in all honesty, it’s much, much too early to judge the success or failure of this class. It takes years before anyone can assess the true impact of a group of transfers.
We are back with our five-part series on the top transfer windows of the takeover era. In part 1, we examined the 2019 class. And in part 2, we analysed the 2017 window. Part 3 featured the 2022 class, and Part 4 showcased the 2015 group.
In our final instalment, let’s dig into the 2016 summer transfer window.
Key signings: Ilkay Gundogan, Leroy Sane, John Stones, Gabriel Jesus
This window marked the true beginning of the Pep Guardiola era.
Guardiola arrived at City in the summer of 2016, and his first major transfer window produced a fascinating mixture of established stars and emerging talent.
Gundogan was Pep’s first signing and, ultimately, one of his most important.
The 25-year-old German midfielder arrived from Borussia Dortmund with a reputation as an intelligent, technically gifted central mid who could operate in several roles. Guardiola had identified him as the player with whom he wanted to begin reshaping City’s midfield.
His first season was interrupted by a serious knee injury, limiting him to just 16 appearances. But after recovering, Gundogan became a remarkably consistent presence in Guardiola’s teams.
Over seven seasons, he made 304 appearances and scored 60 goals, winning five Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups, two Community Shields and the Champions League.
His ability to contribute to scoring became particularly important during City’s 2020/21 title campaign, when he scored 13 Premier League goals.
And then came his defining moment.
In the final game of the 2021/22 season, Gundogan came off the bench against Aston Villa and scored twice, including the goal that completed City’s comeback and secured the title.
A year later, he captained City to its first Champions League trophy, scoring the winning goal in the FA Cup final against Manchester United along the way. In 2023, he left for Barcelona on a free transfer.
Sane represented the other edge of Guardiola’s transfer strategy: extraordinary young talent with room to become a star.
The German winger was only 20 when he arrived from Schalke, but he was already a full German international and had enjoyed a breakthrough season in the Bundesliga. It didn’t take long for Sane to demonstrate why City had invested in him.
His best two seasons came in 2017/18 and 2018/19. In the first, he made 49 appearances, scoring 14 goals and providing 19 assists to win PFA Young Player of the Year honors. He followed that with another 47 appearances in 2018/19, producing 16 goals and 18 assists.
In total, Sane made 135 appearances, scored 39 goals and provided 45 assists for City. He won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and two League Cups.
His City career ended earlier than it might have because of a devastating knee injury suffered in the first match of 2019. But for two seasons he was one of the most frightening wingers in Europe.
Happily for Sane, he moved to Bayern Munich. After recovering from his injury, he won four Bundesliga titles.
Jesus was arguably the most intriguing long-term bet of the class.
City signed him at 19 after he had helped Palmeiras win the Brazilian championship. He remained in Brazil through the end of 2016 before joining Guardiola’s team in January 2017.
He made an immediate impression.
In his first half-season, Jesus scored seven goals and provided four assists in just eight Premier League starts.
He would never quite become the undisputed No. 9 that some expected. But Jesus became an enormously valuable player because of his versatility. He could play centrally or from either wing, press relentlessly and contribute without the ball.
He finished his City career with 236 appearances and 95 goals, winning four Premier League titles, four League Cups and an FA Cup
His greatest strength may have been that he could be trusted in virtually any attacking role Guardiola needed.
In 2022, he signed with Arsenal, where he helped them win the Premier League last season.
Stones may have had the most complicated trajectory of the class.
At 22, he arrived from Everton as one of Europe’s most highly regarded young centre backs. City specifically identified his ability to defend and build attacks from the back, while Guardiola said he wanted to help Stones reach his potential.
The early years were uneven. Stones played 41 times in his first season, but injuries and inconsistency became recurring issues.
Then, eventually, everything clicked.
The Stones-Ruben Dias partnership became foundational for the 2020/21 and 2022/23 teams. Stones developed into a defender who could step into midfield, carry the ball forward and essentially become an additional midfielder when City had possession.
His finest season came in 2022/23, when he played a major role in City’s historic treble. That evolution is perhaps the best illustration of Guardiola’s influence on the 2016 class.
Stones joined Inter Milan this summer.
