Manchester City are a club used to pulling up trees in the transfer market. Although your Football Manager save will not carry quite the prestige as being Pep Guardiola, you still possess the assets to really change the squad.

Such a large squad at the Etihad means that you have a pretty free reign with where to improve. While other squads have clear weaknesses that simply cannot be avoided, Manchester City’s depth of options means you have far more flexibility.

If you want to buy a striker (because that’s what we all love doing, really) you can throw yourself into that market. If you feel the defence needs adjusting, you can blow all your budget on a centre-back.

The demands at Manchester City are – unsurprisingly – sky high. They demand the world from you and don’t give out a huge amount of cash in the first season.

You must be savvy in the transfer market if you are to succeed and that could mean moving for one of these players…

Mateo Kovacic

With Real Madrid blessed with some of the world’s best central midfielders, Mateo Kovacic has struggled for minutes since his move from Internazionale.

Manchester City, as a result, can bring the gifted Croatian to the club for a relative bargain fee on Football Manager.

Ideally used as a playmaker, Kovacic is perhaps the ideal third central midfielder alongside Gundogan and Fernandinho.

Sergi Darder

Another midfielder available at decent value is Sergi Darder. With potential to secure him for a fee of under £15million, Darder can be moulded into City’s very own version of Sergio Busquets.

The sky really is the limit for the Spaniard on Football Manager and, as you can see from his ratings, he has all the ability to become the perfect deep-lying midfielder.

Doria

Doria is not quite the all-conquering central defender that he was on the last few editions of Football Manager, but the Brazilian still develops into one of the better defenders in Europe.

His price tag is reasonable – particularly considering the fees Manchester City have spent on central defenders lately – and will provide needed depth in the heart of the Citizens’ defence when Vincent Kompany is out injured.

Arjen Robben

For a player who is an injury or two away from serious decline, signing Robben may not represent excellent value. However, the Dutchman being available for under £7million means he could be a real bargain for a year or two of brilliance.

Nolito, Sane and Sterling may not be too pleased with the addition of Robben, but he could really make the difference in your first season.

Andrea Barzagli

If Doria or other, younger options don’t take your fancy as central defensive depth at Manchester City, Juventus’ evergreen Andrea Barzagli is a legitimate, one or two season alternative.

Still more mobile than many younger defenders, Barzagli is one of the best players available short-term.