What Happened to Pep Guardiola’s First 6 Man City Signings

Pep Guardiola arrived on English soil with a huge reputation and plenty of expectations in 2016. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager was appointed as Manchester City’s new boss in what was seen as the Citizens’ biggest coup since their takeover.

The Spaniard had a busy summer transfer window upon his arrival in Manchester, signing six players he hoped would help instantly implement the ideas he’d carried out in successful spells in Spain and Germany. Some worked out, while others were a lot more underwhelming. Nonetheless, below are the players brought into the Premier League club during the same summer as Guardiola, and where they are now.

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Ilkay Gundogan

Current club: Manchester City (TBC)

Ilkay Gundogan was the first man through the door at the Etihad after Guardiola arrived at Man City. The Spanish boss had previously managed against the midfielder during his time as Bayern Munich’s manager. Moving from Borussia Dortmund, there were initial concerns surrounding recurring injury issues Gundogan had previously faced, but they were quickly put to bed.

In a seven-year stint with the Citizens, he won every trophy available, multiple times over in some cases. His final campaign under Guardiola’s stewardship saw the English club complete a historic treble, including the first Champions League trophy in the club’s history. Gundogan is among the greatest Premier League-winning captains, having improved greatly in England. He went from a deep-lying playmaker in the Bundesliga to a box-to-box goal-getting midfielder. After a single season at Barcelona, he is set to return to Man City.

Leroy Sane

Current club: Bayern Munich

Another man to follow Guardiola from the Bundesliga to the Premier League, Leroy Sane, was another shrewd addition to the squad. His electric speed and direct dribbling technique were a combination that sent shivers down the spines of full-backs across the country. He played a vital part in the Citizens’ triumphant 2018/19 campaign, scoring a crucial winner against title rivals Liverpool.

A horror injury suffered in the 2019 Community Shield final against Liverpool scuppered a potential transfer to Bayern Munich that summer. Sane had been earmarked as a potential replacement for departing wingers Arjen Robben and Frank Ribery. He did get his move 12 months later as the Germany international rejected a contract offer at the Etihad and moved to the Bavarian giants. He’s now into his fifth campaign with Bayern Munich, having won the Bundesliga title in his first three years at the Allianz Arena.

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Nolito

Current club: Retired

Nolito is the first of Guardiola’s first batch of signings at the club to have now hung up his boots permanently. He was brought to England by his compatriot to play on the left-wing and even had several appearances as the focal point of the attack.

His time with the club didn’t set the world alight, and he survived only 12 months on the blue side of Manchester despite previously working under the same manager at Barcelona. His six goals in 30 appearances weren’t deemed to be enough for a Man City winger, and he was swiftly shipped back to Spain. After spells with several La Liga clubs such as Sevilla and Celta Vigo, the 37-year-old brought an end to his playing days in 2023.

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Oleksandr Zinchenko

Current club: Arsenal

Oleksandr Zinchenko was one of the lesser-known names brought through the door during the same summer as one of the best managers the Premier League has ever seen. Guardiola transformed the youngster from a midfield player to becoming a reliable left-back.

The Ukraine captain now plays under Guardiola’s former assistant manager Mikel Arteta at Arsenal after the Spanish boss was left impressed by the defender during their time together at Man City. He, along with Gabriel Jesus, moved to the Emirates in 2022 and bridged the gap to his previous employers. The Gunners’ number 17 is now part of a side that are determined to unseat the Citizens as the champions of England.

John Stones

Current club: Manchester City

John Stones is the only man on this list to have been at the club uninterrupted. Eyebrows were raised when a near-£50m transfer was sanctioned for the young Everton defender at the time after some underwhelming performances at Goodison Park. However, as is often the case, Guardiola was right in the end as he played a big role in turning the ‘Barnsley Maldini’ into one of the finest central defenders in the Premier League.

He has always been a real asset in possession, but the Englishman has bulked up significantly since his younger days and can now compete with the physical strikers in the country. Stones is still a key member of the squad after playing a big part in six separate Premier League title wins.

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Claudio Bravo

Current club: Free agent

A huge change to the way the team played was related to playing the ball out from the back. Joe Hart had been the number one at the Etihad for several years but was a surprise casualty in the early days of Guardiola’s regime.

Chile international Claudio Bravo was brought in to replace the English shot-stopper due to his ability to remain calm in possession of the ball. Unfortunately for everyone involved, the transition wasn’t quite as smooth as everyone involved had hoped. Bravo made many high-profile mistakes during his four years at the club and was eventually sold to Real Betis in 2020. After four years with the Spanish side, the 41-year-old departed at the end of the 2023/24 season and is now without a club. At 41 years old, Bravo may not have too many years left in the tank as a professional goalkeeper.