Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini gave the biggest indication that striker Edin Dzeko could be leaving this summer, after recently admitting he was unsure of the Bosnia-Herzegovina international’s future at the club. “Edin didn’t play the (friendly against AS Roma) as it’s not clear if he will continue here, but he is still working here with the whole squad,” said the Chilean coach.
Dzeko, 29, signed from German Bundesliga side Vfl Wolfsburg in 2011, and went on to score 72 goals in 189 games for the Sky Blues. He won two Premier League titles, one FA Cup, one Capital One Cup, and one Community Shield. While a good servant to the club in his four years at the Etihad stadium, the striker looks to be ending his association on somewhat of a low note. Italian Serie A side AS Roma are reportedly one of the sides keen on his signature, but they have some work to do to get him firing again.
Last season saw the forward make just 11 Premier League starts. He scored six goals in all competitions, and spent the tail-end of the campaign as an unused substitute. The January arrival of Wilfried Bony, who came straight in as the second-choice striker spelled the end for Dzeko despite his desire to stay in England. Manager Manuel Pellegrini needs to offload some players, and Dzeko could be following Steven Jovetic out of the door this summer, with a homegrown star potentially coming in.
Manchester City’s squad is greatly lacking in English talent, which led to the £50M signing of Raheem Sterling from Liverpool this month. Dzeko has a good scoring record from his time with the title-chasers, but he wasn’t without his flaws. He became surplus to requirements following disappointing performances when given a run of starts in the City team. His form improved in the latter stages of his time with the Sky Blues when coming off the bench to stake a claim for regular action.
The 29-year-old will look back to his three most prolific years that saw him score 14 league goals in 2011/12 & 2012/13, and 16 goals in 2013/14. But his time looks to have come to an end, and the Italian Serie A is his likely next destination. Dzeko will go down as an important player in the club’s recent history, as he’s played a key role in their Premier League success, but it was ultimately short-lived, and he was overshadowed by the likes of Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Yaya Toure.
