Manchester City are reportable considering making a move for James Ward Prowse this summer, but their reasons are worrying for English football.

Manchester City are supposedly looking at Saints midfielder James Ward Prowse & several other young English players as they look to increase their stock of "homegrown" talent.

But although Raheem Sterling may have a chance of making a start for the City first team, if the likes of JWP sign for City them may soon find themselves the forgotten men of football as City's motives seem to be somewhat about making sure they have a quota of English born players in the squad at rather than signing them with a view of them actually breaking into the City first team.

City lost four Englishmen in the summer Frank Lampard, James Milner, Scott Sinclair and Micah Richards all departing. This leaves only two English players at the club, both goalkeepers, Joe Hart and former Saints keeper Richard Wright who since signing in August 2012 has yet to make a single appearance for City although I'm sure he is being well paid for the privilege. Indeed since leaving St Mary's after his loan spell in May 2008 still then only 30, Wright has only played 61 league games, 46 of them in 2008/09,meaning in the last 6 years he has managed only 15 league games.

So City are looking to sign some promising young talent to meet the homegrown talent quota, but JWP should beware, City have so few Englishmen for a reason and that reason is they prefer to make big name signings from abroad, Ward Prowse has a promising career ahead, it could be ruined if he becomes another in an increasingly long line of young English players lured to City and then disappearing from view.

Photo: Action Images

IanRC added 22:35 - Jun 15 If true then despicable and shows just how much the 'beautiful' game has been corrupted by the so called Fair Play rules or more accurately the rigging of the game by FIFA andUEFA with the complicity of our own FA. Hopefully he will have more sense than to join them if true.
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perazi added 23:06 - Jun 15 He's a likeable lad, JWP - photogenic, academy graduate, English and a good media performer. From my vantage point he is also the most over-hyped, under-performing player in our squad. I would be amazed if this report is true; but it would represent the best bit of transfer business Saints could do this Summer.
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winchesterbob added 00:18 - Jun 16 Hey Perazi, know where you are coming from, but he does strike a sweet dead ball on occasions and will improve as he gets more established if has the sense to stay with us.
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DPeps added 10:11 - Jun 16 I can't see JWP going for it, even for the cash. It's a well-meaning rule in theory, but a ridiculous rule in practice. You'd have thought FIFA would have seen this sort of thing coming
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SanMarco added 11:20 - Jun 16 There's only one thing FIFA see coming DPeps and it is usually in a large brown envelope. The rules are ridiculous - there's almost an analogy with billionaires buying up Titians and Van Goghs and hiding them in vaults. I would tend to agree with perazi though that, from our point of view, a big money sale would probably be good news...
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bstokesaint added 13:14 - Jun 16 I'd like to think that given JWP has shown us loyalty by signing a long-term contract we'd do the same by giving him a chance to reach his potential. Like other posters I share the frustration that he never quite lives up the standard we expect. I personally think we should hold onto him. If he can add a few goals to his set piece delivery we'll start to get the player we all want to see. He's got it in him I'm sure.

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SaintBrock added 17:04 - Jun 16 How can anybody take this seriously, JWP is a Saint through and through and is doing very nicely thank you; he didn't get to be England Under 21 captain without a very sharp brain. Young he may be, stupid he most certainly is not! Peruse, this is the wrong forum to be blunt and offensive so I won't be. The views you express are interesting to say the least but surely you are winding us up.

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corkcitysaint added 19:14 - Jun 16 He would be mad to leave for City. His playing time would be vastly reduced no doubt. Would only be a bit part player. City isn't a club that allow players to grow, progress and develop.
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