Manchester City Must Match David Silva Champions League Ambitions to Keep Star

It’s become increasingly obvious over the course of this season that the squad Manchester City assembled after the 2008 takeover of the club, which has brought them significant success over the past four years, has perhaps come to the end of its cycle.

The average age of City’s squad, at 28, is too high, and some fresh faces are needed to ensure next season isn’t held back by the same level of apathy as this one. By comparison, the average age of Liverpool’s squad is just 25, with a home-grown core running throughout. City, it seems, need a change in direction this summer.

Yaya Toure (31), Pablo Zabaleta (29), Edin Dzeko (29), Fernandinho (29) and Martin Demichelis (33) are all regulars for City. It seems quite obvious that an injection of youth and pace is needed to ensure City are on the trophy trail again next season.

Some have suggested City should sell in order to make space for younger talent. After a poor season which has seen him bag just six goals, Dzeko could be high up the list, and given Toure’s seemingly constant use of the media to cause unrest where his place in the squad is concerned, he too could be sacrificed.

However, one player pushing 30 who will not be allowed to leave is David Silva, the Spanish playmaker who remains the key to City’s best football. The way he plays the game relies less on pace and more on vision and technical ability. He’s been City’s best player this season, despite being 29.

But with his career entering its final stages, how settled is he at City given his ambition of winning the Champions League is no nearer to being realised?

According to an interview with Radio Marca recently, reported by the Manchester Evening News, Silva remains happy at City and is not considering a move back to his native Spain just yet.

He said:

"

I feel very good at City, the fans treat me very well there

We have won two leagues, cups - we just need to take another step in the Champions League.

I am not thinking about [returning to La Liga] at the moment. If I had to return to Valencia, I would not rule that out. Also, I would like to play for Las Palmas and end my career there.

"

It’s now of the utmost importance for City to make further progress in Europe. Their record of two group-stage exits and two last-16 defeats in the four years since their return to Europe’s elite club competition isn’t enough, surely, to satisfy the likes of Silva in the long-term, and the club’s directors, who desperately want to become a super-power in the game, know success at the highest level is a vital part of their strategy.

There’s no disgrace in taking time to make inroads to the latter stages of such a testing competition. Manchester United struggled initially when they entered it back in the mid 90s. It’s tough, both tactically and technically, and no one expects instant success.

Gareth Copley/Getty Images

However, the time has now surely come for City to prove they aren’t satisfied with last-16 defeats. In truth, this season could, and possibly should, have ended at the group stage again, given City’s poor opening four games. Only a late rally saw them scrape through.

Silva is arguably the best midfielder in the Premier League, a player capable of playing for any side in the world. He's won a World Cup and two European Championships with Spain, and two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and a League Cup with City. He needs a Champions League to complete the set his talent deserves and City need to show next season that he can realise that ambition with them.

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2014-15 season. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter: @RobPollard.