Txiki Begiristain says £34m man is his favourite Manchester City signing of all time

Txiki Begiristain has revealed that a player who cost Manchester City just £34million is his favourite signing at the Etihad Stadium.

Manchester City bid farewell to Txiki Begiristain this summer, the 61-year-old retiring after 13 years as the club’s director of football.

The news came as a blow to Man City fans, with plenty thanking Begiristain for all he has done for the club.

City have now released a feature-length film entitled A Farewell To Txiki, which looks at Begiristain’s achievements over the course of his career.

And when it came to the signing he made that means most to him, Begiristain went for a player who cost a relatively low amount but delivered so much at M11.

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Txiki Begiristain picks Fernandinho as his favourite Manchester City signing

Begiristain oversaw the signings of Kevin De Bruyne, Ederson, Ilkay Gundogan, Raheem Sterling, John Stones and Kyle Walker amongst many others.

But when it came to his favourite signing, he opted for Fernandinho, who joined City from Shakhtar Donetsk in the summer of 2013.

In A Farewell To Txiki, Ferran Soriano asked Begiristain which of his signings stands out the most for him.

“For me, Fernandinho is right up there,” Begiristain said without hesitation.

Soriano said: “It was a huge gamble. A guy playing in Ukraine – remember? And it was your decision!”

Later in the film, Begiristain is seen flicking through a scrapbook full of signing photos.

When it came to the picture of himself sat next to Fernandinho, he said: “I always loved this man! He was the first one and he stayed for a while!”

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Kevin De Bruyne’s resounding Fernandinho verdict

Fernandinho made 383 appearances for City over nine seasons, claiming 13 major honours including the 2021/22 Premier League title as captain.

For so many years, the Brazilian was the heartbeat of that City squad, sweeping up all danger and acting as the enforcer of the team.

Fernandinho is loved by all at City, with Kevin De Bruyne singing his praises highly back in 2017.

“I think Ferna’s one of the best holding midfielders I’ve ever played with,” De Bruyne said, as per the City website.

“And it’s worth remembering that he’s 30 years old – incredible that he has so much energy – you don’t see that everywhere in players who are 30 so we are very lucky to have him.

“He’s been an important player throughout his time at City and he plays a pivotal role for us in midfield and helps keep everything organised – plus he’s also very good on the ball.”

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