They might spend plenty of cash, but City sure do produce some top-tier talents too…
Manchester City have been arguably the most successful English club for the past decade thanks to their ability to identify and recruit quality players. But they have also invested heavily in a state-of-the-art academy that is now churning out one talented youngster after another.
Of course, Manchester has long been a hotbed of footballing excellence. And despite a fierce rivalry with Manchester United when it comes to signing the city's up-and-coming stars, they have had numerous homegrown heroes down through the years.
For example, City's successful team of the late 1960s had a strong contingent of locally born players, while many members of the 1986 FA Youth Cup-winning side would progress to the first team and memorably thrashed Sir Alex Ferguson's United 5-1 three years later.
More recently, Pep Guardiola has helped Phil Foden make the step up to the senior side with impressive ease and the England international could soon be joined in the starting line-up on a regular basis by the likes of Cole Palmer, Liam Delap and James McAtee to follow.
Below, GOAL runs through the finest players produced by one of the game's great talent factories…
Alan Oakes
Nobody has worn the famous sky blue shirt more than Oakes, who made 676 appearances between 1959 and 1976.
Although he never played for England, Oakes was one of City's most decorated players before the modern era, winning the title, FA Cup, two League Cups and the European Cup Winners' Cup.
Incredibly, he went onto play for another six seasons in the third tier of English football before being inducted into City's Hall of Fame in 2005.
AdvertisementNeil Young
He grew up less than a mile from City's former home Maine Road and would go on to become a club legend.
Young spent 10 years at City, making 415 appearances in one of the club's most beloved sides alongside Colin Bell, Francis Lee and Mike Summerbee.
Of his 108 goals, the most iconic were the winner in the 1969 FA Cup final win over Leicester and opener in the European Cup Winners' Cup final victory over Gornik Zabrze.
GettyJoe Corrigan
Corrigan had the misfortune to be an England goalkeeper in the same age as Peter Shilton and Ray Clemence but still won nine international caps, as well as the love of City fans.
He joined the club at 15, started his first game at 18 and, in total, made 603 appearances during his 15 years at the club.
After retiring, he became a successful goalkeeping coach at Liverpool and West Brom.
Peter Barnes
The son of 1956 FA Cup winner Ken Barnes, the winger joined City as an apprentice and made his debut as a 17-year-old in 1974.
Two years later, he was named the PFA Young Player of the Year after scoring in the League Cup victory over Newcastle and making his debut for England.
He went on to win 22 caps but he was sold to West Brom a few years later before rejoining in 1987 after a short spell at neighbours United.