At the end of the 2014/15 Premier League season, Manchester City looked forward to preseason and the unenviable task of filling a home grown quota that is necessary in order to fill a Premier League squad.
Naturally many concluded that City had enough after all they had Hart, Boyata, Milner, Richards, Guidetti, Sinclair and third choice ‘keeper Richard Wright all on their books on the last day, however five of the seven mentioned players have sought after pastures new and left the club since City’s 2-0 victory over Southampton at the end of May.
Fabian Delph to have Manchester City medical
The home grown player rule has been subject to a few changes over recent months however the easiest way to adhere to it is to sign English players. This on the surface sounds simple but in reality is rather tasking.
The biggest issue surrounding English players is getting value for your money especially when signing young prospects. This is where Fabian Delph steps in.
A promising midfielder who has been capped at U19, U21 and senior level for England, Delph will most likely be seen as James Milner’s replacement following his free transfer to Liverpool but the question is: Will he be worth the fee?
At 25, the Leeds academy graduate, has six years of experience in the Premier League which is invaluable when deciding on a transfer target as Delph has proved he can mix it at the top domestic level for a decent amount of time as well as breaking onto the international scene this season, it can be argued Delph is one of the best midfielders England currently has.
The reported fee for Delph is £8million, which in the grand scheme of things is pennies when looking at the fees City have paid in past including £16million for Jack Rodwell and £20mil plus for players such as James Milner and Gareth Barry, and is quite surprising as many clubs would hold out for a big fee before selling, like Aston Villa did when allowing the both Barry and Milner leave Villa Park for the Etihad.
The only question that is left to be answered is: Can Fabian Delph take the step up and play for Premier League title contenders?
Fans of Manchester City, and the England national team alike, will be hoping the Yorkshire man will be a success and become a top midfielder capable of performing at the highest level but as with any transfer, there is a chance of failure.
Jack Rodwell, Scott Sinclair, Javi Garcia and even Stevan Jovetic, to a degree, have struggled in the sky blue jersey after moving to Manchester and there is a danger Delph could join a growing a set of transfer flops but Manuel Pellegrini will be hoping he will have pulled off some shrewd business when his new signing pulls on his City shirt for the first time.
Only time will tell whether it will be money well spent for Manchester City but for now at least, the home grown quota worries can be at ease knowing a spot in the 25 man squad has been filled.
GRONINGEN, NETHERLANDS – AUGUST 02: Danny Hoesen of Groningen and Fabian Delph of Aston Villa battle for the ball during the pre season friendly match between FC Groningen v Aston Villa held at the Euroborg on August 2, 2014 in Groningen, Netherlands. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
