In recent years Manchester City has become a major power in not just the English game but also European football. One of the key factors in the Citizens’ recent success has been their forward players. Some of City’s players have been highly prolific.
We have already covered City’s record goalscorers of all time, however, who have been the most prolific players for the Citizens during the Premier League era?
Sergio Aguero (184 goals in 275 appearances)
The former Argentinian international is quite simply a Manchester City legend. During a decade-long career in Manchester, the diminutive striker scored an awe-inspiring 184 goals in 275 matches in the Premier League.
Aguero enjoyed massive success during his City career, with his goals helping the men from Manchester win four Premier League titles, one FA Cup and four League Cups, among other silverware.
During his time at the club, Aguero won the Premier League Golden Boot in season 2014/15 while also winning the club’s Player of the Year award in 2012 and 2015. He also made the Premier League Team of the Year in seasons 2017/18 and 2018/19.
Raheem Sterling (91 goals in 225 appearances)
The England winger joined City from Liverpool in July 2015 for an initial fee of around £44m. It proved to be money well spent for City, as Sterling scored an impressive 91 goals in 225 Premier League appearances.
Sterling was steady in front of goal for the Citizens in his seven years with the club, with his most prolific season coming in season 2019/20, as Sterling scored an impressive 20 Premier League goals.
The winger’s goals played a big part in City winning four top-flight titles, one FA Cup and five League Cups. Sterling made it into the Premier League Team of the Year in season 2018/19 while also claiming the Young Player of the Year award in the same campaign.
In the summer of 2022, Raheem Sterling ended his trophy-laden spell in Manchester by joining Chelsea for a fee of £47.5m.
Kevin De Bruyne (64 goals in 239 appearances)
The Belgian international is another player who has become a Manchester City icon. De Bruyne joined the Citizens for a fee of a then club record of £55m from Wolfsburg in the summer of 2015.
De Bruyne has never been highly prolific, although his goals tallies have been steady, with his highest-scoring campaign in the top-flight coming in season 2021/22, when the Belgian international scored 15 top-flight goals.
Like many players on this list, De Bruyne has enjoyed a trophy-laden City career, being a five-time Premier League winner and winning the FA Cup twice and the holy grail of the Champions League in season 2022/23.
The midfielder has picked up the Manchester City Player of the Year on four occasions while being named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year four times.
Yaya Toure (62 goals in 230 appearances)
The former Ivory Coast international midfielder joined the Citizens in the summer of 2010 from Barcelona for a fee of £24m. Toure spent eight seasons with the men from Manchester, becoming a colossus in the centre of the pitch.
His 62 goals and 32 assists in the Premier League contributed to City winning the Premier League titles on three occasions, the FA Cup once and the League Cup twice. Toure experienced his most prolific goalscoring campaign in season 2013/14.
The midfielder got into the Premier League Team of the Year in seasons 2011/12 and 2013/2014 while also claiming the Manchester City Player of the Year in the latter campaign.
David Silva (60 goals in 309 appearances)
The little Spanish magician became a City legend during his time in Manchester. Silva joined the Citizens in the summer of 2010 from Valencia and enjoyed a brilliant decade-long career with the club from Manchester.
Similar to former teammate De Bruyne, Silva was never prolific in front of goal but was more of a creator, as he picked up a highly creditable 90 Premier League assists. The Spaniard’s most prolific goalscoring campaign was in season 2014/15 when he scored 12 goals in the Premier League.
The former Spain international won four English titles with City, two FA Cups and the League Cup on five occasions. On an individual basis, Silva won the City Player of the Year in season 2016/17. He was also in the Premier League Team of the Year in seasons 2011/12, 2017/18 and 2019/20.
Carlos Tevez (58 goals in 113 appearances)
The former Argentina international forward joined the Citizens in the summer of 2009 for a reported fee of £47m from West Ham, which was a then-British record fee. The move was something of a controversial one, as Tevez had previously played for City’s arch-rivals Manchester United.
The forward went on to score 58 goals in 113 appearances, including scoring 23 times in his debut top-flight campaign, before scoring 20 in his second Premier League season.
Tevez helped the Citizens win the Premier League title in the season 2011/12 while also winning the FA Cup in season 2010/11. The forward won the Premier League Golden Boot in 2010/11 while also getting the PFA Team of the Year in the same campaign.
Gabriel Jesus (58 goals in 159 appearances)
The Brazilian international star joined City from Palmeiras in January 2017 for a fee of around £27m after a deal had been agreed on the previous summer.
Jesus spent seven seasons with the Citizens, scoring 58 goals in 159 appearances, despite not always being a first-choice forward at the club. Jesus’ most prolific campaign came in season 2019/20 when he scored 14 top-flight goals.
While in Manchester, the forward won the Premier League title four times, the FA Cup once and the League Cup on three occasions. Jesus joined Arsenal in the summer of 2022 for a reported fee of £45m.
Edin Dzeko (50 goals in 130 appearances)
The Bosnian arrived in Manchester in January 2011 from Wolfsburg for a fee of £27m, which at the time was the club’s second-highest transfer fee spent.
Dzeko spent five seasons with Manchester City, with his highest-scoring campaign in the Premier League coming in season 2013/14 when he scored 16 goals in 31 top-flight appearances.
During his time with the Citizens, the forward picked up two Premier League winners medals while winning one FA Cup and one League Cup. Dzeko left Manchester City in the summer of 2015 when he left to join Italian club Roma.
Ilkay Gundogan (44 goals in 188 appearances)
The German midfielder became a key cog in Pep Guardiola’s success at Manchester City after joining the Citizens from Dortmund in 2016. Gundogan scored a highly respectable 44 goals in his seven seasons in Manchester while producing 16 assists.
During his City career, Gundogan won the Premier League title on five occasions, the FA Cup twice, and the League Cup on four occasions while winning the Champions League in 2023. The midfielder also made it into the PFA Team of the Year in season 2020/21.
Gundogan left City as a hero in the summer of 2023 when he moved to Catalan giants Barcelona as a free agent.
Riyad Mahrez (43 goals in 145 appearances0
The Algerian winger joined Manchester City from Leicester City in the summer of 2018 for a reported fee of £60m. He went on to play a big role in the City’s trophy-laden period under Pep Guardiola.
Mahrez’s 43 top-flight goals helped the Citizens to four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups and one Champions League. The winger was a regular scorer for City, with his highest league tallies coming in seasons 2019/20 and 2021/22, when he scored 11 goals in each campaign.
The winger left Manchester City in the summer of 2023 when Mahrez joined Saudi Arabian outfit Al Ahli for a reported fee of £30m.