Can Raheem Sterling buck trend of Manchester City's English signings?

English players have enjoyed a mixed time at Manchester City since the club's takeover by the Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008 so can Raheem Sterling buck a trend?

City have spent nearly £100m on English signings in recent years, but their last two - Jack Rodwell and Scott Sinclair - made just nine Premier League starts between them, despite costing a combined fee of £23m.

Sterling is now on the verge of becoming the next Englishman to make the move to the Etihad Stadium as the club looks to invest in home-grown talent to fulfill Football Association quotas.

A £49m deal would make him second most expensive British player behind Gareth Bale and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher believes the big-money fee will bring added pressure. 

City boss Manuel Pellegrini, who has lost the likes of Frank Lampard and James Milner from his homegrown stock this summer, has admitted it has not always been easy to blend upcoming English talent with high-profile foreign stars.

Speaking earlier this year, he said: "We know what we have to do. But all the English teams need English players, and they all want the best ones. So there is big competition with Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool just for English players. It’s not easy when English players come to a big club to have a position for sure in the starting team.

“I don’t want to analyse all the players that have been here, but Jack Rodwell and Micah Richards, for example, missed important parts of the season because of injury. If you want to be a winning team and a club that improves every year, you must try always to bring in the best players."

So how will Sterling fare? Pellegrini will be hoping his career takes a different trajectory to that of some of his predecessors... 

Jack Rodwell

Transfer fee: £15m

Premier League starts: 7

Rodwell was touted as one of the bright hopes of English football during his five-year career at Everton. The defensive midfielder became the youngest player to represent Everton in European competition when he made his debut at the age of 16 and went on to make 84 appearances for the club. His performances earned him a call-up to the England squad and he made his international bow against Spain in November 2011. The following summer Manchester City came calling but a limited amount of game time stalled Rodwell’s career and, he believes, cost him a place in England’s World Cup squad in Brazil. After just two years at the Etihad, Rodwell moved to Sunderland on a five-year deal for an undisclosed fee thought to be in the region of £10m. He made 23 appearances last season but has so far failed to live up to the performances he showed at Everton.

What Rodwell said on leaving City: “I would ­probably say don’t sign now, I’d say get as much football as you can. The first thing I’d ask is, ‘how good are you?’ You just never know – you could go there, do really well and be winning league titles and everything. But just because you’re English and young it doesn’t mean you’re not going to play for Manchester City. I would just say weigh up your options and ask yourself if you want to be playing regularly.”

Scott Sinclair

Transfer fee: £8m

Premier League starts: 2

Sinclair burst onto the scene by helping Swansea become the first Welsh club to compete in the Premier League. He scored a hat-trick as Swansea beat Reading 4-2 in the play-off final and went on to have similar success in the top flight, making 38 appearances and scoring eight goals. After representing Team GB at the 2012 London Olympics, he moved to City on a four-year deal for a undisclosed fee thought to be around £8m. But with just two league starts to his name in three seasons at the club he has now moved to Aston Villa on a permanent deal.

What Sinclair said last November on his City future: “I don't feel like I have had the best of chances. I just want to get out there and show everyone why City bought me and I haven't really had that opportunity. The decision I made, I have made, and I just have to deal with it. I can't look back and say it was a mistake or anything like that. The only thing I do miss is playing football – I made the choice to come to City to fight it out with all the big players and the world-bought stars, and it hasn't really worked out this far.”

James Milner

Transfer fee: £18m

Premier League starts: 89

Milner sealed his big-money move to Manchester City in the summer of 2010 for around £18m. During five years at the Etihad he helped the club lift two Premier League titles, the FA Cup and a League Cup but struggled to nail down a permanent starting spot in the side. Milner, who has 54 England caps to his name, made just 89 league starts during his City career and joined Liverpool this summer on a free transfer as he targets more opportunities in central midfield for Brendan Rodgers’ men.

What Milner said about leaving City for Liverpool: "I was lucky enough to win trophies and be part of a good squad there, but speaking to the club about what their plans were and where they saw me over the next few years at the club, and then speaking to the manager here and his plans going forward and for myself, I just thought it was the right thing for me to hopefully go and get more game time and be part of something special. I want to play football and play more centrally if I can – and that’s where the manager said he sees me playing.”

Gareth Barry

Transfer fee: £12m

Premier League starts: 123

City completed the signing of Barry from Aston Villa for £12m in the summer of 2009. The England international became a key component of Roberto Mancini’s side which went onto win a Premier League title and the FA Cup. The 34-year-old made 123 league starts during his four seasons at the Etihad before spending the 2013/14 season on loan at Everton, helping them to a fifth place finish in the league. He made his switch to Goodison Park permanent the following summer after his contract at City expired.

What Barry had to say on Manchester City’s potential move for Ross Barkley in April: “I think Ross is too young to make that move,” the 34-year-old said. “Everton is better for his development. He’s still learning the game. He’s got the right manager here to push him to the next level. As soon as he reaches that next level, then there’s another decision to be made.”

Joleon Lescott

Transfer fee: £24m

Premier League starts: 92

Joleon Lescott arrived at City in 2009 after a protracted transfer from Everton. The Merseyside club rejected two bids from City before the deal finally went through for a £24m fee. Lescott went on to make 92 league starts for the club, helping them to two Premier League titles, the FA Cup and the League Cup. With first-team opportunities becoming more and more limited towards the end of his contract, Lescott joined West Brom on a free transfer last summer. 

What Lescott said on his opportunities at City: “I need to be given a fair opportunity. I know no one can guarantee me playing every week but I would like to think that given a fair opportunity to play, if I am playing in the team I can do well enough to stay in the team. I just want to be treated like everyone else. If I am in the team and the team is winning I stay in the team."

Adam Johnson

Transfer fee: £6m

Premier League starts: 39

Manchester City completed the signing of Adam Johnson with just minutes to spare of the 2010 January transfer window. Johnson signed a four-year deal after City agreed a £6m fee for the winger. He helped City to FA Cup victory in 2011 before making 26 appearances as the club won their first Premier League title the following season. However, he was on the move that summer as Sunderland secured a £10m deal for the England international and he has been a regular for the Black Cats ever since, helping them to Premier League safety last season despite off-field problems.

What Johnson said after leaving City for Sunderland: “When City come in for you, it is hard to say no. I was in that situation a couple of years ago. I would probably advise young English players you probably won’t get the chance to play as much as you would like.”

Wayne Bridge

Transfer fee: £12m

Premier League starts: 40

In January 2009 Manchester City confirmed the signing of Wayne Bridge from Chelsea for a fee in the region of £12m. Brought to the club by Mark Hughes, Bridge made a solid start to life at the Etihad but his first-team opportunities became limited when Roberto Mancini took over. Mancini added Aleksandar Kolarov and Gael Clichy to his squad, leaving Bridge surplus to requirements. The former England international then went on numerous loan deals before joining Reading for the 2013/14 season. After just one season at the Madjeski Stadium, Bridge announced his retirement from football.

What Bridge said on falling down the pecking order at City: “I have not been given the chances [at City]. I'm as good as them (the club's other left-backs Aleksander Kolarov, Gael Clichy, Pablo Zabaleta). It is hard. "I accept that since I went to City I haven't played great. But I haven't had a fair chance.”