IT’S already being billed as the biggest game of the Premier League season so far: Manchester United v Manchester City.
A Manchester derby always has the potential to be a spicy affair, but the added sub-plot of old enemies Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola facing off for the first time in three years is really set to get the juices flowing.
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But it’s not just the two new bosses that have provided an off-season spark for the two Prem giants.
They’ve also been hugely busy in the transfer market this summer, with both sides making vast improvements.
There can only be one winner though, so vote on whether you believe the red half or the blue half of Manchester had a better transfer window, below…
MANCHESTER UNITED
THE BOSS
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BRINGING in Jose Mourinho following three, shall we say ‘sub-par’ seasons under David Moyes and Louis van Gaal was a major coup for United.
The Special One brings with him not only a winning mentality and a wealth of experience, but also the swagger required to lead the Old Trafford outfit.
From the passion of Sir Alex Ferguson to the comparatively dull tenure of Moyes and LVG, Mourinho could be the breath of fresh air needed to kick-start the United title-winning machine.
THE PLAYERS
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WHILE not a particularly busy window, with just four fresh faces brought in, you can't argue that the quality of that quartet is top class.
Starting from the back, Eric Bailly has come in an instantly solidified the centre of defence, already gaining huge plaudits for his work.
Then in the middle of the park came the return of Paul Pogba - for the whopping sum of £109m.
His dynamic presence in the centre of midfield could serve to be a huge boost, while Henrikh Mkhitaryan can provide some attacking depth, although he is yet to feature too heavily.
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Then of course there's Zlatan Ibrahimovic, already proving to be one of the moves of the summer.
The former Paris Saint-Germain star has already found the net three times in the Premier League from just three games... And he cost them absolutely nothing.
In terms of players lost, United also played the game well, selling or releasing only real fringe players such as Paddy McNair and Nick Powell, while shrewdly offloading young squad players on loan to gain first-team experience.
TOTAL SPENT: £169m
AVERAGE PLAYER COST: £42.3m
MANCHESTER CITY
THE BOSS
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IT'S fair to say that City languished a tad under Manuel Pellegrini in 2015-16.
With a squad worthy of winning the Premier League, things didn't go quite to plan and ultimately Pell was given his marching order in February - on the proviso he would see out the rest of the season.
As expected motivation was clearly lacking and players' heads dropped... Enter Pep.
Guardiola has managed two of the biggest clubs in world football in Barcelona and Bayern Munich - both of which thrived under his leadership.
There is absolutely no reason to think Guardiola couldn't pull off the same kind of success at the Etihad...
THE PLAYERS
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COMPARED to cross-town rivals United, City truly were busy during the summer months, bringing in no fewer than ten news faces.
Amongst some of the lesser-known signings such as Oleksandar Zinchenko and Aaron Mooy, Pep and Co splashed some serious cash on stars such as John Stones and Leroy Sane.
Former Everton ace Stones cost the club £47.5m, while ex-Schalke hotshot Sane another £37m.
Brazilian wonderkid Gabriel Jesus will link up with the club in January, after penning a £28.6m deal, while Ilkay Gundogan and Nolito have added more top-class depth to City's ranks.
There is no doubting the players brought in have made the squad as a whole look all the more dangerous, but what about the stars they have lost?
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It's no secret Guardiola was not a fan of Joe Hart - and he was eventually shipped off on loan to Serie A side Torino.
On top of the England stopper, City also shipped off potential first-teamers Samir Nasri, Eliaquim Mangala and Wilfried Bony on loan, to name a few.
In terms of sales, only real fringe players were let go, while some hot prospects joined the loan list in their bid to get some first-team football under their belts.
TOTAL SPENT: £174.8m
AVERAGE PLAYER COST: £19.4m
So, there are the facts... But who do you think had the better transfer window ahead of Saturday lunchtime's crucial Manchester derby? Have your say, below.
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