Pep recruited eight players in his debut season for Manchester City, with only two of them still playing for the club. Big signings John Stones and Ilkay Gündogan are the only recruits who still represent the blue side of Manchester.
But other players who were among Pep's first recruits for the Blues have come and gone in that time - here's what happened to them.
Leroy Sane
Leroy Sane was one of Pep Guardiola’s most promising signings, but he never really lived up to his towering potential for Manchester City. The German winger was bought from Schalke for £37million and started off well for his new club, with 13 goal contributions in 37 games – and that only got better as time went on.
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Overall, Sane would go on to score 39 goals and grab 46 assists in 135 games for City. He solidified himself as a good squad player for Pep’s side, without quite becoming the world-beater that he threatened to be, and the 27-year-old would go on to leave after four seasons. During those four seasons, he helped his side win the Premier League twice and the FA Cup on one occasion.
Now he has returned to Germany, this time with Bayern Munich after a £40m transfer in 2020. Despite a great Champions League campaign last season, with six goals and six assists in 10 games, Sane has not quite played to the same level as he did with City.
In 108 games, he has scored 34 and assisted on 33 occasions, which is a great record, but for a player who had such a high potential – many expected more.
Nolito
Perhaps a forgotten name for City fans, Nolito was undoubtedly a poor signing in Pep’s first season. The Spaniard never managed to fit in with his new side and he struggled to adapt to English football.
In just 30 games for City, the tricky winger scored just six goals in a very disappointing season. A viral red card, after headbutting Bournemouth’s Adam Smith soon after joining, epitomized his short Premier League career which only lasted one season. He was quickly shipped back to Spain for the low fee of £2m.
From then, it was a difficult few years for Nolito as he never regained the form or flair that caught Pep Guardiola’s eye. His best spell since leaving City was at Celta De Vigo where he made 20 goal contributions in 45 games. He now plays his football for UD Ibiza where he is once again struggling to succeed.
Claudio Bravo
After Pep Guardiola’s disapproval of Joe Hart, Claudio Bravo was brought in to replace the Englishman until the signing of Ederson a year later. Overall, Bravo proved to be a trusted backup goalkeeper who ended up with a prosperous career as a cup goalkeeper for City, but he wasn't quite up to Pep's preferred standard when it came to his distribution.
The Chilean made 61 appearances for Manchester City with an impressive record of conceding fewer goals than games played, with 60. A Premier League title, an FA Cup and three League Cups is enough to make Bravo’s second time playing under Pep, moving to City from Barcelona, a success. For a fee of just over £15 million, the transfer proved to be a good investment for City.
After four seasons, Claudio Bravo moved away from City and travelled back to Spain as Real Betis’ number one. The veteran goalkeeper has also been promoted to captain of the Chile team, but the 39-year-old appears to be approaching the end of his long career.
Gabriel Jesus
One of Pep’s most successful signings was that of the young Gabriel Jesus. The Brazilian was one of the most exciting and anticipated players in the Premier League when he joined, and he did not disappoint. Partnered alongside Sergio Aguero mostly, Jesus was a deadly forward and formed a dangerous partnership with his Argentine teammate.
Overall, Jesus was successful in his time at the club, with 95 goals and 46 assists in 236 games. That was despite a majority of his performances coming as a substitute or playing in a less favourable position on the wing.
A fee of £27m now seems a bargain for the calibre of player that Pep got, and he remains the only player to be sold for a profit from Guardiola’s first signings.
The Brazilian left for Arsenal in the summer and made an instant impact, before getting injured. Five goals and five assists in 14 games for the Gunners proves that the striker has quality. The Gunners paid £45m for Jesus, and it seems to be the correct decision for the player as Erling Haaland has well and truly locked down the striker position for City.
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