James Milner’s immediate future at Manchester City has been thrown into doubt in recent months after the England midfielder complained of the time he was spending on the bench at the Etihad. Premier League rivals Liverpool and Arsenal have been heavily linked with the winger and the England international’s work ethic is going to be difficult to replace, but here are 5 possible replacements.
5) Lucas
The Brazilian winger has failed to live up to his potential so far in his career. His big-money move to PSG as a teenager has slightly damaged his reputation but that can be regained by a move to the Premier League. The dethroned Premier League champions will be looking to rebuild their squad in preparation for a renewed title challenge. The PSG man’s pace and skill will cause Premier League defences mayhem – something that James Milner doesn’t provide. However, PSG will want a big price for the youngster and Manchester City may be forced to overpay and take a risk on whether his potential will shine through. The signing may be a replica of Jesus Navas, who has failed to cause problems for full-backs signing joining from Sevilla in the summer of 2013.
4) Roberto Firmino
Hoffenheim’s player of the season will be attracted by Champions League football and has outperformed the rest of his teammates throughout the season. City have been the team most commonly linked with a move for the Brazilian. His compatriots Willian, Oscar, Fernando and Fernandinho have all adapted to life in the Premier League and I can’t see that Firmino would have any trouble. Obviously, he doesn’t play the exact position that Milner does, but with the summer exodus at City, I wouldn’t be surprised if they changed the formation along with the players. The only point where the clubs will disagree is the fee. It often happens with smaller clubs, that they want more for the player than he is worth. However, Firmino would be a fantastic addition to the squad if they weren’t to re-sign Milner.
3) Pedro
Pedro contributes more than most give him credit for to Barcelona’s success. He often replaces any of Messi, Suarez or Neymar from the bench but always makes an impact, shown with his 98 goals in 318 appearances for the La Liga champions. The goals, along with the assists, would be welcomed at the Etihad. Pedro is the only option on this list that would get anywhere near to the work rate that Milner provides. It may be a struggle to tempt the Spaniard away from the Nou Camp, but an agreeable price tag would suit both clubs and I wouldn’t rule out a move in the summer.
2) Ross Barkley
Barkley, along with Everton, has fallen in reputation this season and rumours of a departure to a big club have died down. But, if my thoughts are anything to go by, I still think that numerous clubs will still be vying for the signature of the young Englishman, especially with the stricter homegrown rule coming into place in the coming seasons. I would also expect teams from abroad to move for Barkley, so City will have to move quickly. With the homegrown rules coming into place, I would expect Everton to slap a sizeable price tag on Barkley for teams within the Premier League, giving foreign teams an advantage in the race for him.
1) Raheem Sterling
The wantaway winger. I’ve put Sterling as the number one replacements for Milner because of societal opinions. Sterling’s attitude is one of the worst I’ve seen in years. But, nevertheless, Sterling is a talented individual who would add an aspect of attacking intent to City’s style of play. Sterling has also shown his talent upon an international stage, carrying England through their Euro 2016 qualification process. Liverpool will almost certainly be open to allowing Sterling to leave after contract talks stalled and Sterling announced his intentions to leave Anfield in the summer or when his contract ends. The homegrown rules come into the situation again here as Sterling will qualify as a homegrown player. Sterling has shown versatility throughout the season – playing as a wide midfielder, central midfielder and striker this season, and that could be of huge benefit to City.
Who do you think is the perfect replacement for Milner? Let us know in the comments below, or on Twitter @TheMaineBlues.
