Pep Guardiola’s greatest Man City signing named in new list with Erling Haaland only eighth.

New list ranks Pep Guardiola’s greatest Manchester City acquisition eighth, with Erling Haaland at number eight.The player most exemplary of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City has yet to be identified is Erling Haaland.

After winning a historic treble last season, City’s squad has been hailed as one of the greatest ever and is currently undoubtedly the best in world football.

In his inaugural season at the Etihad Stadium, Erling Haaland scored 52 goals in 53 games across all competitions, which was a crucial factor in that accomplishment. Numerous other players acquired throughout the tenure of Pep Guardiola also made significant contributions, which begs the inquiry: Which player did Guardiola acquire for City that was most exceptional?

A new set of rankings provides an answer to this issue by analyzing each and every player who has joined the club since Guardiola took over as manager in 2016.Given that Guardiola signed legendary players including Kevin De Bruyne, Sergio Aguero, and David Silva prior to his arrival, the answer is not as straightforward as it may seem.

However, the Athletic has commented on the matter; City correspondent Sam Lee has ranked each of the 29 City recruits signed by Guardiola.

The rankings have considered the athletes’ long-term contributions and value for money, as opposed to selecting them solely on the basis of their quality.Nolito, a combative attacker who was one of Guardiola’s initial but undoubtedly least effective acquisitions, tops the list. Despite the Spaniard’s initial promising appearances during the initial months of the season, supporters grew weary of his poor defensive record and restricted offensive output by the conclusion.

Poor scoring has been the norm for players such as Benjamin Mendy, Angelino, and Kalvin Phillips, the latter of whom has appeared in just 911 minutes of football since joining from Leeds for £42 million in 2022.

Real Madrid opponent Haaland in action (Getty)

Real Madrid opponent Haaland in action (Getty)

Things become particularly intriguing in the top ten, where goal-scoring phenomenon Haaland is ranked only eighth. This is because, as Lee puts it, “other City players assist in the organization’s overall excellence while players like him come to life in the final third.”Rodri, a holding midfielder, is ranked third, followed by Bernardo Silva, with German midfielder Ilkay Gundogan occupying the top position.

Guardiola’s inaugural acquisition at City was Gundogan, and his performance in the seven years that followed rendered the £20 million he was sold for an utter steal. The German international not only regulated the tempo and midfield for City but also scored several of the club’s most significant goals in history, including the championship-winning effort against Aston Villa in 2022 and his extraordinary 12-second volley against Manchester United in the 2023 FA Cup final.

The complete listing is as follows:

The 29th: Nolito, Benjamin Mendy, 28 Kalvin Phillips, 27th, Zack Steffen, 26th, Angelino (25), Sergio Gomez, 24th, Scott Carson, 23rd, Claudio Bravo, 22 Twenty-one: Danilo, Twenty, Ferrán Torres, Stefan Ortega, number 19 Joao Cancelo, 18th Leroy Sane (17), Gabriel Jesus (16) Jack Grealish (15) 14: Alvarez Julian, 13: Akanji Manuel, Nathan Ake, 12th Oleksandr Zinchenko, eleventh Twelveth: Aymeric Laporte Riyad Mahrez, ninth Eighth: Erling Haaland John Stones, number seven Ruben Dias, sixth Kyle Walker, fifth Fourth: Ederson Third: Rodri, Bernardo Silva, No. 2, Ilkay Gundogan, No.