While Manchester City has uncovered stunning deals in the summer, the club has built up a tendency of completing high profile deals in the winter window in the past few seasons. Especially, in the January windows of 2025 and 2026 where they have rewritten the history books. Part of it has been City falling from their dominant period which has caused several overhauls midway into the season to replace or add to the summer signings. However, they have not felt shy to pay the bucks midway of a season even during their peak period too.
To understand the extent of City's signings in the recent winter window since the takeover of the UAE consortium we have to cite the example of Edin Dzeko, who contributed to the club's first ever Premier League title, costing $46.87 million in January 2011. Even when the spendings overall increased since, the likes of Gabriel Jesus who cost $36.25 million in 2017 and Julian Alvarez who came in for just $18.93 million in 2022, both critical to the club's success, was significantly lower. But all of their transfer fees were dwarfed by the record-breaking outlays seen in recent windows.
Here are the top five expensive arrivals for Manchester City in the January transfer window:
Abdukodir Khusanov ($45m, 2025)
City went for a spending spree in the winter window of the 2024-25 season which was the second worst campaign they ever had under Pep Guardiola, losing their four-season dominance. Yet, the winter arrivals gave a little bit of stability to the team that eventually finished third on the table. One of them was talented center-back Abdukodir Khusanov who cost $45m in his deal from French club Lens. The then 20-year-old was mainly drafted in as a future star and received minutes whenever required to continue his development. Khusanov scored in only his second appearance for the club in the FA Cup victory over Leyton Orient and has featured 23 times in all competitions in a year since signing for the side. He has featured regularly more recently with the absence of key players at the back but has the potential to eventually be the regular for the side of managed well.
Nico González ($67m, 2025)
In the same window, Manchester City purchased Nico González from FC Porto by paying his release clause on deadline day which amounted to $67m. The Spanish defensive midfielder was brought in to fill up the void left by the former Balon d'Or winner Rodri, whose absence due to a season ending ACL injury crumbled City. The other reason was also that the La Masia product was aged just 23 at the time of transfer making him a future prospect of the club in the middle of the park. Due to the absolute necessity of the move, González got more of a show than Khusanov making 16 appearances in his first season and 29 in this one even when Rodri is back in the mix. It showed that Nico González has the trust from Pep Guardiola and he might repay his price tag by becoming the ultimate lynchpin in the middle of the park for the eight times Premier League winners.
Aymeric Laporte ($76.4m, 2018)
For nearly seven years, Aymeric Laporte's eye-catching $76.4m move from Athletic Bilbao by triggering his release clause remained Manchester City's record winter deal in history. His impact was instant as he became one of the standout players of the club's golden era and his transfer became a transformative one. The Spaniard was part of the 'Centurions' squad of the 2017/18 season in which the Sky Blues became the first club to reach 100 points in a single Premier League campaign. That was part of the five league titles he won, being a crucial contributor to each of them. Laporte was also a member of the team and started the 2023 Champions League final in Istanbul which City won to clinch their first title in history. Side by side being a defensive steel, Laporte excelled with his excellent passing ability and he be a left-footer struck a rare left-right center-back partnership that solidified the backline, shattered opposition's press and helped create a unreal dominance.
Omar Marmoush ($79.1m, 2025)
Also part of the 2024-25 season winter window overhaul, Omar Marmoush arrived at Etihad from Eintracht Frankfurt in a huge $79.1m deal with a big reputation. The Egyptian arrived at City scoring 12 goals in the first half of that campaign and 37 overall in two seasons for the German club and wasted no time to hit the ground running. Marmoush provided immediate relief for an injury-hit squad that needed a spark in the attack and he did more than that. He hit seven goals in the first 16 matches of his Premier League career, including a stunning hattrick in the 3-1 win over Bournemouth with one of the strikes awarded the best goal of the season, solidifying their Champions League spot and also reaching the FA Cup final. By far, Marmoush became the most influential arrival in that historic winter window where City spent a whopping £180 million, outspending almost the entire Premier League combined.
Antoine Semenyo ($85m, 2026)
However, no transfer fee came close to what Manchester City spent in the January transfer window of 2026, shattering all the previous record. In the second week of January, the Citizens snapped up the most wanted wingers in the Premier League by paying a mouth watering $85m to Bournemouth. Therefore, the Ghanaian international became the club's all-time record signing in the winter window and the third most expensive deal completed in the club's history after Josko Gvardiol and Jack Grealish. Indeed, he was also the record sales for the Cherries. Semenyo's rise to prominence was stunning last season as he contributed to 15 goals for Bournemouth which helped the club to their best season ever in the league while he has already contributed to 13 goals this time. He scored in his first two games for his new club as well which makes him another feared personnel in the City's attack.
