Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling shouldn’t even consider joining Arsenal this summer, according to Stewart Robson.

The former Arsenal and West Ham United midfielder spoke out about the rumours from BBC Sport that alleged Sterling could join Arsenal as part of a swap deal for Alexis Sanchez. He said: “Raheem Sterling has got to stay at Manchester City and fight for his place.

“He may not be flavour of the month with Pep Guardiola but I can’t see why he would want to come to Arsenal because most of the English players that have come to Arsenal in recent years certainly haven’t been developed by Arsene Wenger and his coaching staff.

“It is not a club at the moment that is going to win the title. He went to Manchester City because he wanted to win trophies.”

The timing of Robson’s comment on English players not developing is a bit odd, as Oxlade-Chamberlain nears a £40m move from Arsenal despite just one year left on his contract. The 24-year-old joined the Gunners for around £12m in 2011.

However, Arsenal don’t have any other English players worth nearly as much, even in the current market. So maybe Robson is right. Well, apart from the fact that Sterling was literally the only English player in the entire Manchester City starting line-up against Bournemouth last weekend.

City’s method of developing English players in recent years has been to buy those other clubs have developed – see Kyle Walker, John Stones and Sterling himself. They have brought through Tosin Adarabioyo, but the defender has made four appearances in two years so far.

It’s not as if older English players have been well developed at the club either. Fabian Delph has spent his mid-twenties on the bench or in the reserves for most of City’s league games. Unfortunately I’m not cherry picking examples, those five are the only English players in City’s senior squad.

The one thing I can’t argue with, however, is that right now Arsenal don’t look very much like winning the title this season. Fair enough on that front.