Since the late 2000s, Manchester City have invested in numerous Brazilian talents to aid the club’s ascent to the top of English football.
Some have undoubtedly fared far better than others, but in recent years, the talent has been more prevalent than ever with players including Fernandinho, Ederson, and Gabriel Jesus all playing their part in mass success.
The former departed Manchester City this summer to go back to Brazil, after his final Etihad Stadium contract expired.
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Gabriel Jesus followed the veteran midfielder out of the exit door too, with a £45 million permanent transfer to domestic rivals Arsenal announced this week.
As the former Palmeiras man departs the Premier League champions after five years with the club, we take a look back at how successful he and his fellow Brazilians were at Manchester City - ranking each and every one of them.
12 - Glauber (2008-2009)
No prizes for if you guessed this one.
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Glauber Berti - the forgotten man - finishes last on this ranking, after playing just SIX minutes for Manchester City in his solitary season at the club.
Despite this, he managed to gain some level of cult status at the club as the season went on, with the fans speculating when the Brazilian’s first minutes would arrive. This was a long wait, as those short six minutes did not arrive until the final day of the season, but Glauber was given a raucous reception by the Eastlands faithful when he did finally grace the pitch and attain his one appearance for City.
11 - Maicon (2012-2013)
Considered one of the greatest right-backs of all-time, Maicon helped Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan win the Champions League in 2010. His race however already appeared to be run when he linked up with Roberto Mancini in Manchester.
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Joining on the back of Manchester City’s inaugural Premier League title success of 2012, the club should have looked to strengthen the squad, but the board instead made a string of underwhelming signings and Maicon was a part of this unfortunate jigsaw.
Appearing just 13 times for the club, the defender’s impact was forgettable to say the least.
10 - Sylvinho (2009-2010)
Spending just one season in east Manchester, Sylvinho’s time at City was far from sizzling.
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Signed from FC Barcelona in the summer of 2009, the defender was brought to the Etihad Stadium as back-up for Wayne Bridge.
Having played for one of the biggest clubs in the world, as well as Arsenal, Sylvinho’s blend of Premier League experience and European quality was expected to aid Manchester City in their plight to climb the league table. While this did not come to fruition, the right-back’s scorching long range effort against Scunthorpe United in the FA Cup lives long in the memory.
Sylvinho departed Manchester in 2010, retiring from football, having made just 15 appearances and scoring that one brilliant goal.
9 - Geovanni (2007-2008)
A former prospect at Spanish giants Barcelona, there was understandable excitement when Geovanni touched down in Manchester.
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His form for City though was sporadic, leading to the forward only spending the one season at the club.
Despite his short stay at the Etihad Stadium, Geovanni became a fan favourite, after powering in a belting goal against cross city rivals Manchester United to win the derby at home 1-0.
He only added a further two goals to his season tally, leaving Manchester City to join Hull after a modest 20 appearances.
8 - Jo (2008-2011)
Signed for a then whopping £19 million, Jo arrived in Manchester from the Russian League with high expectations.
Unfortunately, like many names on this list, Jo did not meet such expectations and flopped.
He notched a few goals in the UEFA Europa League during his three-season stint, but his output was truly woeful when compared with the talented strikers that followed at Manchester City.
Jo’s poor form saw him loaned out to fellow Premier League club Everton, as well as Turkish giants Galatasaray, before joining Brazilian side Internacional on a permanent deal.
The striker left Manchester City in 2011 after appearing 42 times for the club and scoring just six goals.
7 - Fernando (2014-2017)
A rough and tough player signed to battle in the midfield, Fernando was never really needed at the Etihad Stadium while his (semi) namesake Fernandinho was at the club.
Dubbed ‘The Octopus’ at previous club Porto due to his capability for being everywhere at once and controlling the midfield, it did not quite work out for the Brazilian in Manchester.
Fernando often lacked that cutting edge in the technical department, despite being a fairly reliable player against the weaker teams. This may have worked domestically but sadly for Manchester City, Fernando was not up to Champions League quality and this was capped off by the midfielder scoring the own goal to send the club out in 2016 at the semi final stage.
After just one season with Pep Guardiola, the player was shifted on, having made a total of 102 appearances and scoring four goals for the club.
6 - Robinho (2008-2010)
This list would not be complete without Manchester City’s ultimate statement signing following the Abu Dahbi takeover.
Robinho was the first big name through the door after the new owners arrived in 2008.
Joining for a then-whopping £32 million from European giants Real Madrid, it was a sign that Manchester City and their new owners meant business.
Sadly however, Robinho evidently did not, and after a couple of underwhelming years, the striker joined AC Milan.
The Brazilian showed glimmers of promise with 15 goals in his debut campaign, but that was not enough for a club as ambitious as Manchester City were at the time and still remain.
Robinho appeared 53 times for the club, notching 16 goals.
5 - Danilo (2017-2019)
A serial winner before arriving in Manchester after winning three straight Champions League titles with Real Madrid, Danilo lived up to this name during his time in the north-west of England.
The full back played for the club in two of their most successful seasons, winning the Premier League title in both years with unprecedented points totals, as well as securing three domestic cups and an FA Community Shield.
Danilo’s impact on the success was far from paramount, but he played a role in that special squad and proved to be a reliable rotation player when needed, with the club often fighting on all four fronts during the defender’s stay in Manchester.
Danilo made 60 appearances for City, scoring four goals.
4 - Elano (2007-2009)
One of Manchester City’s most beloved cult heroes, Elano joined the club from Ukrainian outfit Shakhtar Donetsk in 2007.
Among many electrifying moments for the Citizens, his wonderful free-kick against Newcastle stays in the memory.
Elano possessed a raw creativity that City had rarely seen in the years before his arrival and helped brew up confidence among the fans that this team could reach the next level.
A regular with the Brazilian national team, the midfielder was certainly a special player who graced the club with two exciting campaigns.
Elano left after making 84 appearances and grabbing 18 goals.
3 - Gabriel Jesus (2017-2022)
The top goalscorer on this list and arguably the player who showed the most potential, Gabriel Jesus managed to get on the podium with a top-three finish.
Joining from Brazilian club Palmerias in January of 2017 at just 19 years-old, Jesus seemed to have the world at his feet.
The forward never reached the ultimate pearly heights in Manchester that his early potential promised, but during his five years at the club, the forward was always reliable.
On many occasions, he proved to be the difference, even though he was never as clinical as strike partner Sergio Aguero.
Jesus will live on in Manchester City folklore following his last-minute winner against Southampton on the final day of the 2017/18 season, guaranteeing the Sky Blues a remarkable 100-point finish. This remains the only time this feat has been achieved, etching the forward in Manchester City’s history forever.
He joins Arsenal ahead of next season after making 236 appearances for City and scoring 95 goals.
2 - Ederson (2017-Present)
The only player on the list to still be playing for Manchester City, Ederson claims silver in this particular contest - somewhat ironic given the goalkeeper has won the Premier League Golden Glove award for the past three seasons.
A revolutionary keeper with his feet, Ederson has helped reshape the English game with his calm and composed distribution.
Although his shot stopping has been questionable in recent months, the 6ft2 Brazilian remains one of Manchester City’s most important cogs to Pep Guardiola’s system, and thus to their success.
To date, Ederson has made 241 appearances for the club, and will look to claim more in the coming season as he and the squad aim to defend their Premier League crown once again.
1 - Fernandinho (2013-2022)
There could be no real debate for who claimed the top spot on this list.
Fernandinho not only won five Premier League titles during his Manchester City career, but even captained the team to two of them in his final couple of years at the club.
Going from playing in a midfield duo with Yaya Toure in his early City years, to seamlessly transitioning into a lone number six in a Pep Guardiola system, Fernandinho has proved to be an adaptable asset for the Manchester club.
A raucous leader, tough tackler, and possessing an eye for goal, Fernandinho is easily one of the best Brazilian players the Premier League has had, let alone City.
Fernandinho called time on his Manchester City career this summer, after making as many as 386 appearances and scoring 26 goals.
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Topics: Robinho, Gabriel Jesus, Ederson, Fernandinho, Brazil, Manchester City, Premier League, Football
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Edward Burnett