Manchester City have beaten Liverpool FC and Manchester United to sign highly-rated Fulham winger Patrick Roberts, according to ESPN FC. .
A host of Premier League sides, including Chelsea FC, Manchester United and Liverpool FC were chasing Roberts, who is regarded as one of the most promising talents in England.
However, if reports from ESPN FC are to be believed Manchester City have trumped their rivals by moving quickly to steal the England under-19 international under their nose for an initial fee of A?5 million, which could rise to as much as A?10 million with various add-ons.
Fulham had offered Roberts a new deal and were hoping to keep the youngster, with his current contract expiring in the summer of 2016. It seems now that they have been unable to match the offer from Manchester City.
Following the departures of James Milner to Liverpool FC and other English contingent of Frank Lampard, Micah Richards and Dedryck Boyata this summer, Manchester City were in dire need of homegrown players for their Champions League squad.
They have been monitoring Roberts’ progress at Craven Cottage for some time and, although they see the midfielder as one for the future, they believe he could prove a valuable addition to their squad for next season as they need to bolster their homegrown quota.
Roberts had made his Premier League debut as a substitute against Manchester City in March 2014 and made 20 appearances for Fulham in the Championship last season.