When Manchester City’s Stevan Jovetic first made the switch to the Premier League in 2013, the bustling Montenegrin striker came with a good record and an even better reputation. The former Fiorentina star had become a strong fan-favourite with the Viola, and as he reportedly cost City in the region of £22 million, Jovetic was expected to hit the ground running and never look back.

Whilst such a dream is at the forefront of every fan’s mind when their team signs a new player, as this is Manchester City we are talking about, the spotlight will always remain that bit more tightly focused. Stevan Jovetic’s Premier League career has ultimately not played out in the most dream-like manner so far however. The combination of adjusting to the Premier League, unlucky injuries and Manuel Pellegrini’s squad rotation policies have seen the former Serie A man fail to show any sort of consistency in his performances.

Although there is still time for the no. 35 to make it in the Premier League, transfer deadline day approaches and the question remains: will Stevan Jovetic still be in Manchester come the end of the window?

So far, the former Fiorentina man has made less than 30 Premier League appearances for Manchester City, and scored only 8 league goals. This doesn’t say much for the forward, who was seemingly coveted by all the major clubs in world football when he first broke onto the scene. The Montenegrin talent simply hasn’t made the impression many had hoped for, and with competition for places being so highly contested at the Etihad in recent years, the jury may already be agreement over Jovetic’s future in the Premier League.

Having said that, injuries have been an unfortunate, but important, factor in slowing down the 25-year-old’s progress in England. With a little bit of caution however, Stevan Jovetic’s regular visits to the Manchester City physio might just have been avoided. The forward suffered ligament damage to his knee whilst playing for Fiorentina that saw him miss out on nearly a whole season’s worth of action. If City had been a bit more stringent with their homework, perhaps this entire situation could have been circumvented.

The signing of Wilfried Bony this winter has cast a big shadow over Jovetic’s future at the club. Pellegrini may have already insisted that Bony has arrived to replace Alvaro Negredo rather than the Montenegrin striker, but the writing just seems to already be on the wall for Jovetic.

With Sergio Aguero and Wilfried Bony paired in Pellegrini’s strike force, and Edin Dzeko waiting in the wings to reconfirm his role within the team, it becomes even more difficult to see how Jovetic now fits in at the Etihad. It is important to remember however that the £22 million man could still become a Premier League star, is just a question as to whether or not City will give him further opportunity.

Should the powerful striker eventually decide to end the City dream, a move back to Serie A seems his most likely destination. League leaders Juventus are interested in bidding for the former star according to Italia Football, but a nostalgic move back to Fiorentina could be a more immediate option for Jovetic, as Sky Sports have reported the Viola are thought to be interested in securing their former fan-favourite on a loan deal this winter.

Wherever the forward’s next destination may be, a lot of work will now be involved for the Montenegrin as he looks to rediscover his scoring boots, retain his fitness and become the player than the footballing community knows he is well capable of being. The chance to do so at Manchester City, however, may have already come and gone for Stevan Jovetic.

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