Has the Time Come for Manchester City to Let James Milner Move On?

With James Milner’s Manchester City contract set to expire this summer and with no new agreement forthcoming, it looks increasingly likely he will leave the Etihad in June and find a new club.

Rumours circulating this week, reported by the Manchester Evening News, suggest Liverpool are the front-runners to sign the former Newcastle United and Aston Villa man, with the likely guarantee of regular starts in his favoured central-midfield role surely a big factor in his decision.

A feeling still persists Milner is Manuel Pellegrini’s utility man rather than a specialist midfielder and regular starter. With his next move likely to be his last big one, no one can blame Milner for wanting to play in his preferred role in an attempt to become a permanent fixture in the England side for the remainder of his career.

This season he’s played full-back, central-midfield and on both flanks, and during December operated as a lone striker due to an injury crisis, a period which saw City produce some of their best performances of the campaign.

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He’ll be a huge loss to City. His five years at the club have seen City win every domestic honour and progress in Europe. Milner has played a huge role in that success, with his versatility and underrated quality imbuing City with the kind of work rate and professionalism every top side needs.

City have a huge task replacing him, not just because finding such a willing grafter is almost impossible, but because they are already low on homegrown options. Milner was ticking a number of useful boxes for the club and quite who can come in and fulfil the same role is something of a mystery.

Indeed, Pellegrini knows full well what he’ll be losing. In a recent interview with Sid Lowe in the Guardian, he spoke in glowing terms about Milner’s ability, praising him for his attitude and ability.

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The club wants [James] Milner to stay but maybe he wants more games.

I understand. I’m Milner’s No1 fan. Find me a more complete English player.

There are players who’re better technically, yes. Quicker players, yes. Players who head better, yes. But show me one who does all the things Milner does well. There isn’t one.

It’s hard to leave him out. Respect, commitment and performance level: 10/10, fantastic. He’s polyfunctional: full-back – the only position he doesn’t like – attacking midfield, wide. I played him as a forward and the team averaged three goals a game. He gives everything. You leave him on the bench and he’s absolutely furious but watch him during the game: encouraging, shouting, supporting. And in the next training session he kills himself.

Intelligent, great mentality, one of those players that when you leave him out you’re left with this feeling of injustice; it hurts because he should always play but sometimes you need a technical player with other characteristics. I hope he stays. If he doesn’t it will be because there’s an important offer.

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Milner, as Pellegrini alluded to, can do a bit of everything well. He may not possess the blistering pace of Sergio Aguero or the skill and vision of David Silva, but he's solid in every department. Perhaps the quality in the City squad has just been just too much for him to assert himself as a regular starter. Milner is a realist and the chance to play more regularly at a slightly lesser side would be a better way to see out the remainder of his career than by warming the City bench and being a jack of all trades. 

He's given City some magic moments, though. His performance in the seismic 6-1 win at Old Trafford in 2011. His winner in the 3-2 win over Bayern Munich last season. The string of heroic displays last season as City won the title at the death. It's little wonder he has become a firm fans' favourite. 

Often criticised for his lack of discernible world-class attributes, Milner has never given anything less than 100 percent in a blue shirt and has mixed it with some of the very best during his time at the club. He's rarely looked out of place alongside the likes of Aguero, Silva and Yaya Toure. 

City will miss him greatly but the time, perhaps, is right for him to move on and feel appreciated elsewhere. 

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.