No member of Manchester City’s current squad was signed during the period in which an independent commission found the club guilty of all charges relating to breaches of the Premier League’s financial regulations. Those offences all came between 2009 and 2018. City have denied any wrongdoing and have appealed against all of the charges.
A reader from West Sussex, Neil, asked which current players were at the club during that period, and the answer is one player. Midfielder Phil Foden is the only player in the squad who was at the club during the breach period, but he was not a senior signing. He came through the club’s youth ranks and is now 26. He made his first-team debut in a Champions League match against Feyenoord in November 2017.
The longest-serving signings
The club’s longest-serving first-team player who was bought from another club is Portuguese centre-back and club captain Ruben Dias. He joined from Benfica in 2020 and has made more than 250 club appearances since then.
Erling Haaland is the next longest-serving arrival. The Norway striker joined from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2022.
Academy products and recent arrivals
Versatile midfielder Rico Lewis is, like Foden, a product of the club’s academy. He did not make his senior debut until August 2022. All of the club’s other senior players were signed between 2023 and 2026.
