Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is aiming for a fifth straight Premier League title this season in what could be his final campaign in charge.

The Spanish head coach's contract is currently due to expire next summer and it remains to be seen whether or not he will continue his spell at The Etihad.

Guardiola has won six Premier League titles so far and his work in the transfer market has been key to that over the years, going all the way back to John Stones in his first window in charge.

The central defender joined from Everton for a reported fee of £47.5m in the summer of 2016, and has enjoyed a terrific career in Manchester.

John Stones' current market value

At the time of writing, Transfermarkt places his current market value at €38m (£32m), which is an expected decrease for the 30-year-old, who has been at the club for eight years.

The City number five has racked up 258 appearances in all competitions for Guardiola and, of course, has been there for all six of the Spaniard's title wins in England.

He has been in the PFA Team of the Year on two occasions, for the 2020/21 and 2022/23 campaigns, and won six domestic cups, alongside the Champions League.

Stones has been a terrific signing for City because of his longevity and quality, as shown by his Team of the Year inclusions, since his move from Everton in 2016.

He may not be the best centre-back signing made by Guardiola during his reign, however, as Ruben Dias has been an exceptional piece of business so far.

Ruben Dias' current market value

At the time of his arrival from Benfica in the summer of 2020, the Portugal international was valued at €35m (£29.5m) and his current value sits at a whopping €80m (£67.6m).

That is an increase of 129% in his four years at The Etihad, which shows that Guardiola hit the jackpot when he snapped up the central defender in 2020.

Dias enjoyed a fairytale debut season in England in the 2020/21 campaign, as he won the Premier League Player of the Season award for his efforts at the back.

As you can see in the table above, Dias was extremely reliable in possession and dominant defensively, to help his side to 15 clean sheets and the title.

The 27-year-old titan has already racked up 182 appearances for City in all competitions and was named in the aforementioned PFA Team of the Year awards alongside Stones in both the 2020/21 and 2022/23 seasons.

Despite being three years younger than Stones, Dias has already matched his number of PFA Team of the Year selections and won a Player of the Season award in the top-flight, which the England international has not managed.

This, along with his increased value, shows that City hit the jackpot when they signed the Portuguese colossus and that he may have been an even better signing than the former Everton star was.