After witnessing their team end the previous season in fifth place in the Premier League table, the owners of Manchester City handed manager Roberto Mancini a considerable warchest to strengthen the club's first-team squad during the summer of 2010 as they looked to earn qualification for the Champions League for the first time.
Mancini wasted little time in adding star quality to his ranks, spending a collective total of £58m to secure the signatures of Jerome Boateng, Yaya Toure and David Silva. Toure and Silva held established reputations in world football while Boateng's was growing after his impressive performances with Hamburg and in the World Cup finals in South Africa with Germany.
However, with Mancini still needing to improve a number of areas of his squad, he wasted little time in progressing with his next move as he completed the signing of left-back Aleksandar Kolarov on this day in 2010. The 24-year-old had spent three years with Lazio, making 104 appearances in all competitions, while he had also made a name for himself in the Serbian national side, featuring in two of their three fixtures at the World Cup.
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At the time of his arrival, Kolarov had been compared to Brazilian legend Roberto Carlos due to his threat from set pieces, and Mancini was quick to praise his attributes after the transfer was completed for a fee in the region of £16m.
The Italian chief was quoted by BBC Sport as saying: "I first saw Kolarov in his Lazio debut back in 2007. I have watched him a lot since then and so have the Manchester City scouts. His attacking capability is very good. He is fast and can shoot with power and accuracy. He also has the ability to play in numerous positions and is very good in midfield."
There was much anticipation ahead of City's opening league contest with Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane, but while a goalless draw was respectable, the result was tainted after Kolarov damaged his ankle ligaments, leaving him facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines. He wouldn't make his return until November 4 when he featured in the Europa League defeat to Lech Poznan, but the following weeks saw him granted a spell in the starting lineup, making 13 appearances until he scored his first goal for the club in an FA Cup tie against Leicester City.
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Only two more goals would follow but Kolarov helped City finish in third spot in the Premier League table to earn a place in the Champions League, while he started their triumph in the FA Cup final against Stoke City. However, despite making 37 appearances in a relatively successful campaign, Kolarov would begin his second year at the club facing stiff competition from new recruit Gael Clichy, and although he would retain his place during the opening weeks, he soon became backup to the Frenchman, playing just 12 times during their title-winning campaign.
Despite his future seeming bleak, Kolarov remained at the champions to compete for a spot in the starting lineup, and while he featured 30 times during a trophyless season, only 20 appearances were made in the league. From a personal perspective, the highlight of his year came in September when he netted at the Bernabeu against Real Madrid, but a 3-2 defeat was the start of a disastrous first attempt in Europe's premier competition.
The 2013-14 season saw Kolarov feature 30 times in the Premier League, the most since he decided to leave Italy for England, and it resulted in him penning a new four-year contract with the club to extend his stay until 2018. His participation would drop significantly in 2014-15, but with current boss Manuel Pellegrini opting to retain faith in the 29-year-old and teammate Clichy, it appears as though he will remain at the Etihad for some time as looks to add to his 167 appearances and 17 goals so far.
Darren Plant
