Sunderland goalkeeper Vito Mannone is looking forward to facing moneybags Manchester City.

City, Sunderland's opening day Premier League opponents at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday teatime, this week spent £47.5million on Everton defender John Stones, while Manchester United splashed out a world-record £89million fee on midfielder Paul Pogba.

“It's a different world to us at the moment," Mannone told the Sunderland Echo, when asked about the amount of money being spent on the likes of England international Stones.

“I have been in a very good team like Arsenal who never spent money on a defender, so it's Man City and we know they have the big transfer budget, they can do that.

“Personally, I don't think it is right, but that's football nowadays.

“You see the big money for players and surely they think he is a very good player and have gone for it."