Homegrown talent has been an issue for Manchester City in recent windows, with the club's Director of Football Txiki Begiristain tasked with finding suitable players. Fabian Delph can be considered a steal at £8million while Raheem Sterling is on the other end of the spectrum, City spending a then club-record of up to £49million to sign the talented English forward.

Notoriously, Jack Rodwell, Scott Sinclair and Adam Johnson have all struggled to make an impact having joined the club from a young age. Joleon Lescott, Gareth Barry and James Milner have contributed to the success on the pitch while also being part of the England squad, but they cannot be considered prospects due to already establishing a reputation in the Premier League before joining Eastlands. 

City's negative youth image hurts players' potential 

It is the sad truth that young players frequently fail to make the grade, not only at City, but amongst all the top teams. Chelsea currently have no less than 25 youth players out on loan, and it’s hard to see many of them getting a shot. Arsenal are probably the most accommodating, with Jack Wilshere among their academy graduates.

Manchester United have high hopes for James Wilson, but they too have seen the likes of Darron Gibson, Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverley go by the wayside in recent seasons. The fact is, it's difficult to compete at the top and take the gamble of blooding young players, as every point - league or in European competitions - is crucial.

Before Sheikh Mansour’s investment in the club, City saw a number of players make the transition from reserve-team football to top-flight regulars. Micah Richards, Nedum Onuoha, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Stephen Ireland were ultimately not good enough, and despite all four being at the club at the time of takeover, only Richards remained to win a league title medal.

Youngsters increasingly eager for first-team chances 

Rony Lopes is on an increasing list of youngsters seeking opportunities away from the Etihad Stadium. Karim Rekik and Dedryck Boyata left for Marseille and Celtic respectively earlier this summer. Jason Denayer also spent time with the Scottish champions last season and has been allowed to join Galatasaray until May next year following Nicolas Otamendi’s big money arrival earlier this month.

Denis Suarez, who moved to Villarreal via Barcelona and Sevilla, Devante Cole, who joined Bradford City last week, and José Pozo, who moved to Almería on Monday signing a four-year contract, are other examples of potential stars seeking pastures new.

However, Kelechi Iheanacho made his debut in the weekend’s defeat over Watford, albeit a brief appearance, and Patrick Roberts and Enes Unal have arrived full of promise at the City Football Academy, hoping to break the mould.

Such is the current global demand of the Premier League, teams are increasingly pressured to win, managers face questions about their futures after a bad run of results and TV revenue is allowing teams to spend big money. It is just an aspect of modern football that youth prospects are finding it harder to break through. Unless players can make a positive difference to the success of a club, they simply will not get the chance.

Despite this, it should not mean the top clubs are less attractive to young players. Manchester City's facilities are second-to-none in England, if not the world, and training with world-class players helps the development of ability.

If on the rare occasion a hidden gem is unearthed, it is down to the player to grab the opportunity with both hands and show what they can do, no matter how small. Young players need a lot of patience in today’s game, but that is something that shouldn’t faze hungry, competitive individuals willing to wait for their chance.