How Manchester City exploited Arsenal with title-turning transfer approach

Manchester City have been known for large-scale spending ever since their infamous 2008 takeover from Sheikh Mansour.

In a modern game dominated by wealth and your ability to attract the highest calibre of players to the club, there was once a period in which the Blues were known for poaching Arsenal's 'cream of the crop', so to speak, for their gain.

Liverpool's constant poaching of Southampton players is the only modern-day similarity, given the Merseysiders have signed ten players from the south coast over the last ten years, with six of those coming in a four-year period between 2014 and 2018.

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With Sunday's mouth-watering clash between Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta on the horizon, MEN Sport looks a little deeper at some of the names City managed to poach from the Gunners as they eventually fought for their spot within the Premier League's elite.

Signed: June 2014

Fee: Free

Verdict: Poor

After snubbing Arsenal's advances to remain at the Emirates Stadium, French defender Bacary Sagna opted to swap London for Manchester as he penned a three-year-deal.

Insistent that the move was not about the money, despite taking a £60,000-per-week pay rise, Sagna only managed 86 appearances during his three years at the club before eventually departing for Italian side Benevento. He was part of the League Cup-winning side in 2016.

Signed: August 2011

Fee: £25 million

Verdict: Decent

An electric winger who would often dazzle those who watched on, Samir Nasri left Arsenal back in 2011 as he also joined the Blues in a deal believed to be worth in the