The current incarnation of Manchester City is almost unrecognisable from the one that embarked on the club’s first Premier League season under Peter Reid in 1992. Football has changed dramatically in that time, and City as a club even more so.
The tale of their transformation can be seen in the identity of the man occupying the club’s number 9 shirt. Niall Quinn was an £800,000 signing from Arsenal, while Gabriel Jesus arrived from Palmeiras for £27million.
City were looking to spend £100m-plus on Harry Kane in the summer in a move that didn't materialise, and since then Pep Guardiola has worked his magic to see the Blues start the season strongly despite being short of another recognised striker.
While the striker debate rumbles on, here we rank the top City number 9s of the last 30 years:
10. Valeri Bojinov
Injuries defined Bojinov’s career, cruelly preventing him from fulfilling his true potential. He was considered one of the most promising young strikers in Europe when he was signed from Fiorentina by Sven-Goran Eriksson, but he ruptured his cruciate knee ligament just eight minutes into his first start against Manchester United.
Bojinov missed the rest of that season but was ready to return for the opening game of the next campaign, away to Aston Villa. He then ruptured his Achilles in the warm-up and was no longer required by the time he returned, although he managed to register his first and only City goal against Tottenham Hotspur.
9. Nolito
After a promising start, things soon fell apart for the Spanish international. A brace coming off the bench against Stoke City on the second weekend of the season was as good as it got for Nolito, whose run in the starting line-up was ended by a red card for violent conduct.
He contributed a couple more goals in fleeting substitute appearances but was rarely used at all in the second half of the season. After being sold to Sevilla for a loss a year after arriving in Manchester, he admitted that his family had failed to settle, citing the weather as a factor.
8. Emile Mpenza
One of the last signings before Thaksin Shinawatra’s takeover in the summer of 2007, Mpenza soon found himself crowded out by competition for places. His goalscoring touch also seemed to desert him, after early success in Belgium and Germany.
Eriksson’s decision to recruit Felipe Caicedo and Benjani during the January transfer window all but spelled the end for Mpenza’s City career. He had a brief stint at Plymouth Argyle after being released, before moving to Switzerland.
7. Emmanuel Adebayor
If nothing else, the signing of Adebayor was a statement of intent from City’s new owners. A year into their reign he joined from Arsenal for £25million, demonstrating their desire to upset the established order.
Adebayor was quickly moved on after falling out of favour under Roberto Mancini, but still provided some memorable moments in his brief spell, not least the infamous celebration following his goal in a 4-1 win over his former club.
6. Andy Cole
The experienced striker was at the tail end of an illustrious career, most closely associated with Manchester United, when he signed for their rivals in 2005. No longer quite as explosive, he still remained effective at Premier League level
Cole was clever and wily, able to both link-up play and finish when through on goal. He had scored nine times by March, when his season was cut short through injury. Despite signing an extended contract he was surprisingly sold to Portsmouth on transfer deadline day.
5. Alvaro Negredo
A bustling striker who only lasted one season at the Etihad, despite failing to live up to the heights he hit at Sevilla, Negredo’s City career was far from a failure. He scored 23 goals in 49 games as the club won the Premier League and the League Cup in Manuel Pellegrini’s first season.
Negredo lacked the subtlety of some of his teammates but was an effective option off the bench and plundered plenty of goals in cup competitions, including hat-tricks in the Champions League and the League Cup. He returned to Spain having served his purpose, and with two winners’ medals to boot.
4. Paulo Wanchope
Unpredictable is perhaps the best word to describe Paulo Wanchope. The Costa Rican international had burst onto the scene with an excellent goal on his Premier League debut, as Derby County won a memorable match at Old Trafford, and had performed well over the previous three years.
Wanchope was signed to keep Man City in the Premier League, and although he was unable to do so, he contributed to their immediate return even in an injury-hit season. Despite missing so much football, his cult hero status was only enhanced by some vital goals that helped to save Kevin Keegan’s side from relegation in 2004.
3. Gabriel Jesus
The number 9 shirt had remained empty after Nolito’s departure in 2017, only for Jesus to take on the mantle last summer. An industrious if sometimes frustrating striker, it’s easy to forget that he’s still only 24.
Jesus has already shown great maturity and goalscoring ability in his five years at City, but Sergio Aguero’s excellence often left him in the shadows.
2. Paul Dickov
Alan Ball didn’t do a lot right during his time in charge of City, but one of his final acts as manager will at least be fondly remembered. Dickov proved to be a shrewd signing, playing his part in successive promotions.
Never a prolific goalscorer, the Scottish international still chipped in at some vital moments, not least in added time of the Second Division play-off final against Gillingham. An iconic figure for that moment alone, City fans also loved Dickov for his wholehearted approach during a difficult period.
1. Niall Quinn
A towering presence and a classic target man, Quinn’s exploits alongside Kevin Phillips at Sunderland sometimes obscure quite how good he was for City earlier in his career. Although they were relegated in his final season, it wasn’t for want of trying on his part.
There were plenty of highlights along the way too as Quinn scored 78 goals in 245 appearances for City and was immortalised in a song about his disco pants that has stayed with him ever since.
