After watching Manchester City finish a relatively underwhelming season third in the Premier League last season, few were surprised to see Pep Guardiola take a no-nonsense approach to their transfer dealings.
His defensive department was reviewed with the most brutality, with a host of players departing.
Fernando, Aleksandar Kolarov, Gael Clichy, Pablo Zabaleta, Willy Caballero, Joe Hart and Bacary Sagna were all moved on in one way or another, freeing up not only space in the squad, but also on their huge wage budget.
In came Benjamin Mendy, Kyle Walker, Danilo and Ederson as defensive reinforcements to the tune of a reported £159million and so far Guardiola's dealings appear to have had the desired impact, with City – five points clear at the top of the table – looking almost unrecognisable at the back.
There was never any doubt about City's ability in attack and, although their forwards have taken much of the praise for their scintillating start to the new season, their defence has given them an immensely solid platform to build on, as Opta data can evidence…
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