Now that the move for Raheem Sterling is official, Manchester City will be happy with the addition of the new star to the squad. According to ESPN FC, City will pay Liverpool an astounding £49 million for the 20-year-old. The player ticks all of the needs for the club heading into the new season. With City needing homegrown players and youth, Sterling is a perfect fit. The player is versatile and can be deployed in a variety of positions. This is all good news for City. However, there will be three key players at the club that may see their role decrease dramatically this season.
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Samir Nasri
The most logical choice to be replaced by Sterling, Samir Nasri has struggled seen his role decrease in recent seasons. Despite scoring the goal that propelled City into the Knockout Stage of the UEFA Champions League last season, the Frenchman has seen his importance continue to decrease. If Sterling is deployed in the attacking midfield by Manuel Pellegrini, it will likely be at the expense of Samir Nasri.
Jesus Navas
A similar player to Raheem Sterling, Jesus Navas is a speedy midfielder that can wreak havoc on the wings. Navas is often deployed in midfield and Sterling could be viewed as a younger and better version of the 29-year-old Spaniard. Sterling has more upside in the attack than Navas and could be seen as an ideal replacement in the midfield.
Pablo Zabaleta
Moving further away from goal, Brendan Rodgers tried to use Raheem Sterling all over the pitch. One of his most comfortable positions growing up was right back. This would mean that Zabaleta would have some competition for the position. It is hard to imagine the engine of the Manchester City squad being replaced by deploying Sterling out of position. However, Manuel Pellegrini has been known to tinker and this could be an example of another experiment by the Chilean manager.
It is hard to imagine any of these three players becoming fixtures on the bench at the Etihad. However, when a club invests nearly £50 million in a single player, that player will undoubtedly be expected to be a consistent starter for his new club. Good news for City fans, as the club added a player that could help lead them to trophies in the near future. Bad news for these players, as their role in the starting eleven could be taken away shortly.