Transfer grades: Which Manchester club made the better signings?
On the heels of a summer rife with blockbuster deals buoyed by bank-breaking billions in TV money, the Premier League is littered with marquee players desperate to find their footing in England's top flight.
With a number of new faces certain to play key roles when the two Manchester sides meet Saturday at Old Trafford, here's a look at how both Lancashire clubs fared in the transfer window:
Manchester City (B+)
Nolito (A-): A "win now" signing, Nolito, 29, has taken little time to acclimate to the Premier League since a bargain basement £13.8-million move from Celta Vigo. A late bloomer who didn't discover his pedigree until a three-year spell at the Balaidos, any doubts of Nolito's ability to find his footing at the Etihad were quickly dispelled. The first half against West Ham was nothing short of stunning, and his role in the Steaua Bucharest drubbing was worth half his modest transfer fee.
John Stones (B+): If necessity is the mother of invention, Stones might be its father. Hardly a case of reinventing the wheel, the move for the England international not only brings in a 22-year-old levelheaded centre-half who is poised on the ball, but it's also a case of addition through subtraction with Eliaquim Mangala off to Valencia on loan and Martin Demichelis taking the night manager gig at Sainsbury's Piccadily location.
Leroy Sane (B): Hardly a secret, Manchester City's long-term affection for German youngster Sane finally came to fruition with a reported £37-million fee that Schalke could do little to ignore. The four-time capped Die Mannschaft attacking midfielder has yet to make an appearance this season as he recovers from a hamstring concern, and while he should make the bench Saturday, the swoop for the talented Sane, 20, was a prudent buy for a club with near-bottomless pockets.
Ilkay Gundogan (B-): Like Sane, Gundogan is a German international making a high-profile Bundesliga switch who has yet to make his City debut. While the former is an explosive attacking threat, the latter is a midfield metronome Jurgen Klopp described as an "intelligent and complete midfielder with numerous strengths." A reported £20-million fee for a 25-year-old is a pittance for a player who could complement Fernandinho in a deep-lying role. Call Yaya Toure a taxi, heck, have his brother Kolo sell him a used Citroen, and put the lanky Ivorian on a one-way flight to China on Sheikh Mansour's tab.
Claudio Bravo (C): A bit of a head-scratcher where the City faithful is quietly placing its faith in Guardiola before passing judgement, Bravo, 33, was a surprise £17-million acquisition from Barcelona that ostensibly cemented Joe Hart's Torino loan switch. Saturday's derby will be a baptism by fire for the 106-time capped Chilean as he's almost certain to start in one of the campaign's most heated clashes.
Gabriel Jesus, Marlos Moreno, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Geronimo Rulli (N/R): A quartet of summer signings shows City has planned both for the present and the future, with Brazilian Olympic hero Jesus the pick of a stacked litter of prodigious talents.
Manchester United (A-)
Eric Bailly (A): Like Stones' move to the Eithad, Manchester United's transfer for Bailly from Villarreal covers several bases. A £30-million target, Bailly, 22, has appeared the standard in his first three tilts. The Ivorian international clearly has the mettle to make it in the Premier League, combining the reckless and rash nature of a Pepe with the ball-playing skills of a Raphael Varane. Once Chris Smalling regains match fitness, he and Bailly are certain to pair well, meaning Daley Blind can spend more time playing a position he's not abhorrent at.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (A-): Ibrahimovic's naysayers are noticeably quiet, and rightly so, after a treble of tallies in three tilts have muted the Swede's cynics as United sits on a perfect nine points. A better passer than he was given credit for during his Paris Saint-Germain spell, Ibrahimovic's versatility is an asset for Jose Mourinho and co., and with competition on four fronts, both he and teenage stud Marcus Rashford are sure to be influential this season. Not bad for a free transfer.
Paul Pogba (B+): More than just a world record £89.3-million purchase, the Pogba signing is a statement of intent. While the 23-year-old Les Bleus star has yet to fully acclimate to his new digs, Pogba has shown flashes of brilliance after making his debut during a 2-0 victory over Southampton. It remains to be seen where Mourinho slots him in, understanding he'll likely thrive best in a three-man midfield, though a player of Pogba's calibre will only remain reticent for so long.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan (B-): Like he did at Borussia Dortmund following a move from Shakhtar Donetsk, Armenian star Mikhitaryan will need time to conform to his new home. With only three substitute appearances for United and nursing an minor thigh injury that will likely see him miss Saturday's tilt, among the four blockbuster moves, Mkhitaryan will take the longest to adapt. That said, when fit, his unpredictability in attack will cause defenders nightmares, and his penchant for incisive balls will benefit the likes of Ibrahimovic, Rashford, and Anthony Martial.