Manchester City bigwig Txiki Begiristain’s mega-money misfits must start to deliver for new Etihad boss Pep Guardiola

PEP GUARDIOLA’S arrival sparked a major inquest into the lack of quality in the Manchester City squad.

The Spanish supercoach has been confronted by a collection of misfits at a club that has wasted more than £200million on over-priced, under-performing players in four years.

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Director of football Txiki Begiristain is now under pressure to start producing not only real stars but real value for money.

Since Begiristain came to the Etihad from Barcelona in October 2012, City have spent £353.9m on 16 major signings.

But only Kevin De Bruyne and Fernandinho can be considered successes with a future under the new regime.

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Nolito and Ilkay Gundogan have followed Guardiola through the door for a combined £34.2m.

Most of the rest — or at least those still there — have struggled to show their worth. Some, like the £63.6m central defensive pair of Eliaquim Mangala and Nicolas Otamendi, have been unmitigated disasters.

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Guardiola has taken careful note of the miseries of Raheem Sterling since his £49m arrival from Liverpool last August and promised he will work to re-ignite his high-paced talent.

But so many others, including £28m flop Wilfried Bony, Fernando, Willy Caballero and Fabian Delph as well as Mangala and Otamendi will either be sold or are in the last-chance saloon.

Jesus Navas is going into the last year of his contract and is unlikely to get another one. Selling on the flops will be a costly business, too.

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Stevan Jovetic cost £22m but was sold to Inter Milan for £15m.

At least they got their money back on striker Alvaro Negredo when he left for Valencia.

Begiristain, 51, still has support within the club and has the new manager’s trust.

But as the man tasked with bringing in the best talent, his record is less than impressive and unless he can produce signings with stickability his position could come under threat.