For so long, Manchester City supporters were forced to look on enviously as neighbours Manchester United produced and signed some of the biggest names in world football.
However, it was during the summer of 2010 that this started to change as owner Sheikh Mansour, who had gained control of the club two years earlier, flexed his financial muscle.
At Old Trafford, United spent around £30m to conclude deals for the likes of Javier Hernandez, Chris Smalling, Bebe and Anders Lindegaard, while across the city at the Etihad Stadium, a huge sum of money was being shelled out.
A total of six players joined the Citizens for a combined fee in the region of £90m, among them being Yaya Toure from Barcelona and Inter Milan striker Mario Balotelli. Another of those players signed on the dotted line five years ago today in a deal reportedly worth £24m.
Playmaker David Silva, who at the time was a part of the Spain squad that would go on to be crowned world champions later that summer, had spent the previous six years with Valencia, but had decided that the time was right for a change of scenery.
Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona had both been heavily linked with his services, but the 24-year-old opted to join the project in East Manchester.
"Firstly I would like to thank Valencia as a club and all of their loyal fans, and my teammates there and staff," he said.
"I have enjoyed six years at Valencia, they discovered me as a footballer and they will always be a special club for me.
"The time is right for me to seek a new challenge and I am thrilled about playing in England with Manchester City. I believe the Premier League is one of the best competitions in the world and I want to bring success to City and win trophies for them."
City boss Roberto Mancini added: "I think that David Silva is one of the best midfielders in Europe, and I hope he will be a very important player for Manchester City.
"I am so pleased he is coming to us. I think he can make a big, big impact for Manchester City. In signing David, we are showing the world that we are bringing the best players here and that we hope to compete to win the Premier League."
Since his arrival, Silva has made himself a firm favourite among the City faithful, having contributed 39 goals and countless more assists during his 221 appearances to date.
The diminutive Spaniard has also played a key role in City's transformation into a trophy-winning club, with two Premier League medals and one FA Cup on his honours list.
Liam Apicella
