Manchester City Power Rankings: 5 Biggest Signings That Failed for the Citizens

Since the takeover of Manchester City in 2008 by the Abu Dhabi United Group, the club is spending money on players at a rate previously alien to the Citizens.

The likes of Sergio Aguero, David Silva, Yaya Toure and Carlos Tevez—who was so famously prised away from Old Trafford and rivals Manchester United—have all joined the Sky Blue revolution in recent times and last season helped City win their first ever Premier League title.

However, not all of these mega-money transfers quite worked out as hoped, and with City languishing 12 points behind Manchester United in the league, it is difficult not to point the finger of blame at certain individuals who have under-performed in City colours.

In this slideshow, Bleacher Report takes an in-depth look at the five biggest signings that have ultimately failed at the Etihad Stadium since the take-over under Roberto Mancini.

Honourable Mentions

Our dishonourable list of honourable mentions contains five players who simply have not made the grade at the Etihad, though did not quite make our cut for "5 worst signings" either. 

5. Jerome Boateng

Signed from Hamburger SV in June 2010 for £10.4 million, Jerome Boateng enjoyed only a limited spell at the Etihad and was sold exactly one year later to Bayern Munich. The player complained about being played out of position at the Etihad and made just 16 league appearances. 

4. Scott Sinclair

Since moving from Swansea City in August 2012, the former Chelsea winger has failed to make much of an impression at the Etihad and has been used as a fringe player throughout his short City career, making just seven league appearances. While he is a player for the future, he has much to do if he is to break into the first team.  

3. Joleon Lescott

The former Everton defender joined City in August 2009, and has recently found it difficult to break into the first team. No longer considered reliable for the big games, he only featured for a minute in the recent win over Chelsea and has been rumoured to be among a series of players on their way out of the club in the summer.

2. Maicon

The former UEFA Club Defender of the Year arrived at the Etihad with huge promise following his £3.5 million move from Italian giants Inter Milan, but a knee injury has scuppered the 31-year old's debut season limiting him to just seven appearances. 

The Mail Online recently suggested the veteran Brazilian right back could be flogged by the club in order to free up funds for the likes of long-term targets Marouane Fellaini and Edinson Cavani.

1. Samir Nasri

Mancini blasted Nasri earlier this year by claiming he had only been putting in "50% effort" for the club this term, and the Frenchman has only played 17 minutes of football since that withering rebuke, prompting speculation over his future.

5. Roque Santa Cruz

Signed by Mark Hughes, the former Blackburn Rovers star joined Manchester City just as the new cash-rich era was being ushered in, back when the Citizens called their home "The City of Manchester Stadium".

Much was expected of Cruz following his 23-goal season in 2007/08, but he failed to live up to those goal-laden promises at City and only managed to score a completely mediocre four in the space of two seasons.

Following the firing of Hughes, he found himself unwanted under Roberto Mancini and was loaned back to Rovers in 2010.

Astonishingly, he is still on City's books while he plays on loan at La Liga side Malaga, and in leaving City, achieved something they are still yet to accomplish by playing in the knock-out stages of the Champions League.

He started against Porto in his side's 1-0 defeat in the first leg of the last 16 last month. Irony?  

4. Wayne Bridge

Currently out on loan at Brighton & Hove Albion, Wayne Bridge was signed for City by Mark Hughes from Chelsea in 2009, but found himself farmed out on loan numerous times under Roberto Mancini and had stints at West Ham and Sunderland.

Following the signings of left-backs Aleksandar Kolarov and Gael Clichy, Bridge was subsequently deemed surplus to requirements at the Etihad and struggled to make it as a first team regular prior to his loan move.

Late last year it was reported that Bridge wished to make his Brighton stay permanent having apparently given up hope on his City future.

3. Mario Balotelli

No matter which way you look at it, the signing of Mario Balotelli was ultimately a failure. Whether the mad-cap Italian was setting off fireworks from his bathroom, throwing a dart at a youth team player, crashing his car, getting into a skirmish with his manager or letting his side down by getting himself sent off in crucial matches, Balotelli was forever making the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Off-the-field antics aside, on the pitch he fared no more favourably. In his final season at the club, which only proved to last a mere five months, he scored just the one league goal.

He will best be remembered as a City player for his "why always me" t-shirt unveiled during the 6-1 drubbing of Manchester United on the way to winning the Premier League title, and though he provided us all with ample entertainment, his City career has to go down as a failure. 

2. Robinho

Robinho was purchased by City's new owners as a statement of intent in the summer of 2008 on transfer deadline day, and his £32 million capture exemplified the Citizen's new-found wealth. 

He initially proved to be a successful signing, and scored 15 times during his debut season, seemingly showing just why City were prepared to spend such an inordinate sum for his services.

However, his second season didn't stack up to the first and, after missing three months of the 2009/10 season through injury, the former Real Madrid striker found goals more difficult to come by.

He managed only 12 games overall upon his return from the sidelines and scored just one goal, against lower-league side Scunthorpe in the FA Cup. The Brazilian subsequently fell down the pecking order at City and was loaned back to former club Santos in the January window.

He returned to the club in the summer of 2010 but insisted he was seeking a route out of the club, which led to him being forced to train with the reserves.

Robinho's miserable tenure was completed with his sale to AC Milan just two seasons after his move to City.  

1. Jo

Prior to the capture of Robinho from Real Madrid, fellow Brazilian Jo was Manchester City's club record signing when they bought him from CSKA Moscow for £19 million in July 2008.

He endured a torrid time at the club however, as you have likely guessed by now having seen him make No. 1 on our list.

Six goals in 41 appearances was his grand total by the time his City career was said and done, and not only does he go down as one of the club's worst ever signings, he must also be a contender for one of the worst Premier League signings of all time, too.

Jo was loaned out to Everton just six months after joining City, having struggled to break into the first team, and again went out on loan at Goodison Park for the whole of the 2009/10 season, which was curtailed by six months after being suspended by David Moyes for returning to Brazil without authorisation over the Christmas break.

His loan agreement with Everton was scrapped and he spent a third loan spell away from the club, this time at Turkish side Galatasaray, for the remainder of the 2009/10 season before finally being shown the door in July 2011. 

He was sold to Internacional and these days can be found plying his trade at Atletico Mineiro.