A blessing in disguise

According to many news wires, Scott Sinclair was expected to complete a £6.2m move from Swansea City to Manchester City at some stage this week.

However, reports today suggest that a move has stalled. What a blessing this could be for the career of the young winger.

Should the move be completed, Manchester City would become his tenth club, including loans, at the age of 23 but it would potentially signal the end to his dreams of becoming an England regular.  

Having been at the Liberty Stadium for just over two years, enjoying promotion from the Championship in his first season and a superb debut season with the Swans in the Premier League, it seems as though Sinclair has found the right club.

A player with undoubted ability and attacking flair like Sinclair will always attract interest from top clubs, so it is no great surprise that Manchester City are trying to prise him away from Michael Laudrup's side.

The proposed transfer would represent a huge moment in the 23 year-old's fledgling career, potentially a defining moment.

A move to the current Premier League champions would give Sinclair the opportunity to realistically compete for trophies on all fronts and compete in the UEFA Champions League, as well as the obvious increase in financial reward.

The attractions, whether they are financially motivated or not, are there for all to see and appreciate. The question, and it is a serious one, is how realistic his chances of playing regular first team football would be at Eastlands.

Roberto Mancini, the Manchester City manager, has already spoken of the need to find a replacement for Adam Johnson having let the England international complete a transfer to Sunderland last week.

By virtue of Johnson's lack of first team football, Mancini's comments suggest that Sinclair would arguably be the latest player to be warming the bench for the Citizens.

Sinclair wouldn't be the first or last player to be attracted to a bigger stage. It is a recurring theme, like a moth to flame, that has affected and continues to affect many a career.

Yet the reported breakdown of this deal is surely a blessing in disguise.

At Swansea, he is a first team regular which instantly enhances his chances of breaking into the England squad. Some may argue that it is the very fact that he plays for Swansea that is preventing his progression to the international scene. It is a double-edged sword, but with Roy Hodgson now the manager of the national team, consistent performers for club will most probably be rewarded with a call-up, regardless of the stature of the club.

Whilst Sinclair may be ruing the fact that a move to the champions could desert him, it is something that he could well be thankful for in years to come.