Manchester City's astronomical rise under Sheikh Mansour's ownership came at a staggering price, according to BBC News, which reports the club spent roughly £1.2bn in the transfer market between the summer of 2009 and January 2018.
That eight-and-a-half-year spending spree transformed City from perennial also-rans into serial winners, yielding seven major trophies in the period — three Premier League titles, an FA Cup and three EFL Cups. It marked a dramatic shift for a club that had previously endured a lengthy wait for meaningful silverware before the Abu Dhabi-backed takeover changed its fortunes.
The figures underline just how aggressively City reshaped their squad and ambitions in the post-takeover era, using heavy investment to build the foundations of the dominant side that would go on to define English football in the years that followed. BBC News' breakdown highlights the sheer scale of the financial backing that powered City's transformation from mid-table outfit to one of the most feared teams in Europe.