Stewart Robson and Alejandro Moreno examine the facets of Man City's game that have propelled them to the top of the table.
Manchester City could sign any player in the world but it would not necessarily be the best move for the team, according to midfielder Fernandinho.
The Brazilian believes the Premier League leaders have the money to buy the world's best players such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi despite them potentially costing more than £198million world record signing Neymar.
However, the 32-year-old believes that Pep Guardiola and the club are more interested in signing young players and creating their own superstars.
"Could we sign Messi or Ronaldo? I guess so, but then you have to consider the club's priorities first. We have the financial power, everyone knows that, but there's the priority issue that must be considered," Fernandinho told Goal.
"Are we aiming to sign one player or to assemble a strong, competitive team to achieve our goals? Sometimes people mistake some things regarding that, thinking just one player would make up for the needs of an entire club. Maybe it's not supposed to be like that.
"City have been working throughout the years to mount competitive teams and pursue titles. Of course, the club made some big and strong investments in the beginning, with top-level and well-known players, but the project itself is based on having a strong team, on developing a top academy structure to reveal new players.
Lionel Messi may not fit in Manchester City's plans, even if the club could sign him, says Fernandinho.
"The City project is much more than about signing a single player with a strong name, that would eventually cost a lot more."
Among those rising stars is Fernandinho's compatriot is Gabriel Jesus, who cost just £27 million from Brazilian champions Palmeiras last summer.
Gabriel has already scored 12 times in just 20 appearances and Fernandinho says it was an extremely shrewd deal by City, who beat many of the biggest clubs in Europe to his signature.
"With the market we're facing nowadays, not only regarding the Neymar deal but also the players that arrived in England this season, a market well-known for spending huge sums -- for what Gabriel has shown back in Brazil and what he's been doing so far, I think he ended up being a real bargain for us," Fernandinho added.
"We are happy with that, because the club managed to pay little for a wonderful player with a huge future ahead of him, whose perspectives are the best possible.
"Somehow, Gabriel managed to be 'left out' of this transfer market madness we are all seeing nowadays."
Jonathan is ESPN FC's Manchester City correspondent. Follow him on Twitter: @jonnysmiffy.
Comments
Use a Facebook account to add a comment, subject to Facebook's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your Facebook name, photo & other personal information you make public on Facebook will appear with your comment, and may be used on ESPN's media platforms. Learn more.
Source: espn.co.uk