Alan Shearer believes that Manchester City missed a "golden opportunity" to bring in top quality players last summer and feels that has cost them the league title this season.
After winning the Premier League, Roberto Mancini's side had a quiet transfer window by their standards, as the brought in players such as Jack Rodwell, Javi Garcia and Scott Sinclair.
Shearer wrote in his column in The Sun: "Manchester City wasted a golden opportunity last summer. Lining up against them will be the one who got away — United's Robin van Persie — who has proved to be one of the big differences between the two neighbours in this campaign.
"Roberto Mancini and his title-winners had missed a trick when the transfer window shut last August. When you are in a position of strength, you have to make the most of it.
"That was their big chance to bring in a couple more of the world's best players to really raise the bar. But, sadly for them, they did not take it."
City face off against Manchester United later today.
Simon Sinclair
