Silva and Toure are bigger names since joining City. At that time, we weren't a great team and upgrading was easier in terms of better players on the market. With money and the vision, we persuaded some to join... But remember we also bought some expensive duds too.
Now we are a much better team, and upgrading is harder because there are less players available to improve us, and we are no longer competing with Spurs or Liverpool for players, we are competing with Real and Barca et al.
It's a much harder proposition.
Can't agree with that.
Silva/Toure were as big a player, if not bigger, than anyone we've signed since. It shows by the fact they remain key players in the team that is where it is now, as opposed to ,say, Adebayor, Robinho et al.
It's disingenuous to suggest that a Barca player and CL winner was at Liverpool/Spurs level, the same with a Tevez from Utd, Silva too was subject of speculation from Madrid.
Coming to City should now be a much easier proposition. Established PL winners, in the CL for 4/5 seasons, state of the art training facilities: we're now a club able to compete, but still with chapters to complete (i.e CL win, sustained domestic titles).
I don't buy that suddenly, City are dealing with transfer dealings far more complex than any other 'elite' team. The only discourse that holds any water, is that in Europe, contracts (ie image rights, ownership etc) are subject to less stringent governance than in England - meaning for example signing a Pogba as a PL team is much more difficult than Barca (under normal circumstances) doing the same.
However to counter that, there should be no such issue with De Bruyne, and certainly no such issue with Sterling... both who either could, or did, takes longer than seemingly necessary to compelte, without any visible benefit.