Manchester City have been elevated to new heights since Pep Guardiola was appointed by the club back in 2016.
The Spaniard, who has also achieved success with Barcelona and Bayern Munich, endured a difficult start to life in the Premier League. His first campaign at the Etihad Stadium is, to date, still the only season in Guardiola's career where he has failed to win at least one trophy.
But Guardiola rebounded in style and has helped guide Manchester City to domestic dominance ever since. City have won four titles in five years since the early teething problems in the manager's premiership, with another English crown in their sights.
And although the 51-year-old's revered tactical acumen has played a significant role in the club's sustained success, Guardiola has also won plenty of plaudits for his work in the transfer market.
It's not very often that Manchester City get it wrong, either - Erling Haaland, the club's new £51million talisman who has taken the Premier League by storm is evidence enough of that.
Over the years, Manchester City have not been shy in spending money to drive their bid for glory. With that in mind, Mirror Football takes a look at the first five signings of the Guardiola era, how they fared, and where they are now...
Ilkay Gundogan
Ilkay Gundogan became the first official signing of the Guardiola era after a £21million deal was struck to prise the industrious midfielder away from Borussia Dortmund. And as far as Manchester City's transfer business goes, you'd be hard-pressed to find a shrewder signing than Gundogan.
City had to be patient to see the best of the German midfielder, who saw his first season on these shores decimated by a serious knee injury. But Gundogan made up for lost time the following year as City to a domestic double after winning the Premier League and the League Cup.
Since then, Gundogan's priceless adaptability has helped fuel Manchester City's quest for domestic dominance. The 31-year-old has thrived in both defensive and offensive roles and is still an integral member of Guardiola's team; a fact he underlined by clocking up his half-century of City goals earlier this season.
Gundogan was officially appointed as City's new captain in the summer after emerging as one of the club's figureheads in recent years.
Nolito
Unfortunately, not every signing can have the same impact as Gundogan - something Manchester City quickly discovered courtesy of Nolito.
The Spanish forward arrived in the Premier League as one of Spain's most prolific strikers, and he even made an electric start to life at the Etihad, chalking up seven goal contributions in his first nine appearances following a £13.8m switch.
But unfortunately, the 35-year-old's influence significantly waned as the season progressed. He admitted that he struggled to settle in England and last just 12 months at the Etihad before he was offloaded to Sevilla.
He then spent three years back at his former club, Celta Vigo, before joining Spanish second-tier outfit Ibiza in the summer.
Oleksandr Zinchenko
The £1m capture of Ukrainian youngster Oleksandr Zinchenko didn't exactly set pulses racing in Manchester at the time, but the 25-year-old's versatility and consistency makes Zinchenko one of the best pound-for-pound signings of Guardiola's storied tenure.
Zinchenko initially spent time away from the club on loan at PSV Eindhoven before making the most of an unexpected opportunity in the first team during the 2018/19 campaign.
Although Zinchenko never truly nailed down a regular starting role at the Etihad, Guardiola himself admits that a player of Zinchenko's calibre was deserving of a more prominent role.
After six years of service, Zinchenko was lured to Arsenal in the summer and has played a key role in the Gunners' unanticipated title charge.
Leroy Sane
Leroy Sane arrived at the Etihad from Schalke with a burgeoning reputation and represented the first real 'big-money' signing of the Guardiola era at £45m.
Like his compatriot, Gundogan, Sane did not disappoint. The German winger clocked up consistently impressive returns when during his four-year stay at the Etihad and was instrumental in helping City to capture consecutive Premier League titles following a barren maiden year in England.
Sane was heavily linked with Bayern Munich ahead of his final year in Manchester, and although City kept him out of the clutches of the German giants initially, the winger missed a significant portion of the 2019/20 campaign with a serious knee injury.
Upon his recovery, Bayern did manage to strike a deal to bring Sane to Munich, where he has starred ever since.
Marlos Moreno
Marlos Moreno was signed just days before John Stones, who would have rounded off a pretty impressive list. But unfortunately, the £4.75m capture of Moreno has not had quite the same impact.
The 22-year-old spent six years on the book without making a single senior appearance and was farmed out on loan a staggering seven times.
Moreno's time at the club only ended in the summer, when he penned a two-year deal with French outfit Troyes - another club in the City Football Group.
