Is Manchester City a black hole for England's homegrown talent?

Manchester City have been benefiting by the huge influx of cash ever since the Abu Dhabi United Group (now City Football Group) took over the ownership in 2008. The Club have since signed many star players and have also become a global brand in football. All the money spent though has not gone in vain, as City have won five major trophies in that time, including two Premier League titles.

The Sky Blues have often been criticized for the extraordinary sums of money that have spent on player signings and wages over the past few years, but that has not stopped the spending. If all the transfer rumours are to be believed, City are likely to spend big money before the start of the 2015/16 season. Many high profile names like Paul Pogba, Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling, Gareth Bale and Jack Wilshere have been linked with the Citizens in the past few weeks. While the owners might not be afraid to splash the cash to get what they want, getting value for their money would be the ultimate goal. With all the money spent by City in the last seven to eight years, they have brought in some extremely talented players, while some of their transfers have gone bust.

Recent reports indicate that City are willing to spend around £50 million for English international Raheem Sterling and another £40 million on Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere. Ahead of these two potential blockbuster transfers, Outside90’s Rahul Dantes analyse some of the English talent that City have signed over the recent years and whether they were a success or not.

James Milner – £26 million 

Arguably one of City’s best English signings in recent times, the versatile midfielder joined the Citizens in 2010 from Aston Villa. Milner made 201 appearances for City, including quite a few noteworthy performances. His ability to play in a number of positions has earned him loads of praise from his former managers, as well as critics. Quick, strong and seemingly tireless, Milner ran his socks off every time he took to the pitch. There is still doubt though as to whether he worth the money that City paid for him, as a large amount of his appearances came off the bench. Milner has joined Liverpool on a free transfer ahead of next season.

Adam Johnson – £10 million 

The pacey winger might have been in the wrong off-the-pitch news of late, but take nothing away from his on-field performances. The 27-year-old who now plays at Sunderland, was at one point the centre of much hype in English football. He started off his senior career at Middlesbrough before joining City towards the end of the 2010 winter transfer market. But, while he did well in his 97 appearances for the Sky Blues, he was not given the game time he deserved, leading him to join his hometown club Sunderland in 2012. Like Milner, Johnson too made a large number of his City appearances from the bench.

Jack Rodwell – £15 million

The former England international made a lot of heads turn during his time at Everton. At 16 years of age, he became the youngest player to play for the Merseysiders in European football. His performances for the Toffees earned him an England call-up in 2011. The start of the 2012 season saw Manchester City sign Rodwell on five-year-contract. He failed to live up to his hype at Everton and only made a disappointing 26 appearances over two seasons at Eastlands. His only two goals for City came in his final league appearance, in which he scored a brace and was another Englishman to make most of his appearances from the bench. Also at Sunderland now, Rodwell will look to get back to the player he was at Everton after his failed stint at City.

Joleon Lescott – £22 million 

Defenders are not usually the subject of big money transfers, but that was not the case for Lescott. He performed brilliantly for his former club Everton in his three years at the club. City ended the long transfer saga, when their third bid of £22 million was accepted by Everton in August 2009. Lescott enjoyed a solid four years at City, starting on a regular basis and thus cementing his place in the back four. The arrival of Martin Demichelis and Matija Nastasic reduced his playing time though, and the 2013-14 season saw Lescott make only ten league appearances. The former England international joined West Bromwich Albion at the start of last season and his strong performances for the Baggies has earned him a lot of praise, with an England call-up still on the cards.

Scott Sinclair – £8 million 

After an incredible couple of seasons at Wales side Swansea City, Sinclair gained plaudits from the big teams. He moved to Manchester City in the 2012-13 season for around £8 million. Although it was not a hefty fee, especially for City, Sinclair’s transfer has been blamed for the player’s demise in form. Sinclair had an extremely disappointing time at the Etihad where he spent three seasons, making only 19 appearances in the process, most of them as a substitute. After loan spells at West Brom and Aston Villa, Sinclair finally secured his move away from City and joined Villa on a permanent deal. After the move, he stated, “this is the happiest I have been in a long time.”

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As seen, not all ends well for English players at City. The Sky Blues have not been the best club for domestic talents in the recent past, as many of them have struggled to cement a spot in the first team. If City are to sign Sterling, Wilshere, or both, let us hope that they enjoy a more successful time in Eastlands than some of their English counterparts.

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