Erling Haaland signing will continue overlooked Man City transfer trend

Unless you've had your head in the sand for the past few years, you'll know that when it comes to transfer business, Manchester City know what they're doing.

City have made some brilliant signings in recent years, with Erling Haaland set to be the latest. However, discussions about the success of City's recruits are often caveated by their price tags; Jack Grealish found that out this season, with his £100million fee used against him when he didn't reach the levels that he is capable of.

Outsiders accuse City of massively outspending their rivals, but what is often overlooked - or purposely ignored - is that City have made countless shrewd signings in recent seasons. Some of City's best players were brought in for relatively modest fees, showing the scouting team's ability to identify undervalued top talent.

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When looking back at past transfers it's important to take into account the inflation of the transfer market, but regardless, City have snapped up some serious bargains.

£54m seemed like quite a lot for Kevin De Bruyne back in 2015, even if he did enjoy an incredible 2014/15 season at Wolfsburg. But if City were to go out and buy a midfielder of his quality today, they'd do well to find someone for less than £100m. That no other major clubs chased the Belgian's signature at the time shows City know a good deal when they see one.

A year later Pep Guardiola made Ilkay Gundogan the first signing of his City tenure, with the Blues paying Borussia Dortmund just £21m for the German midfielder. In the six years since, the 31-year-old has made over 250 appearances for the club, directly contributed to over 80 goals and has won four Premier