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James Milner will quit Manchester City this summer and sign for Liverpool, write Steve Bates and Tom Hopkinson in the Sunday People.

And that could see champions City accelerate a £35million move for another England star – Everton’s Ross Barkley.

England midfielder Milner has made up his mind to call time on his career at the Etihad Stadium for a fresh challenge.

And it’s almost certain he will make the £125,000-a-week switch to Anfield to help plug the gap left by Steven Gerrard’s end-of-season exit to LA Galaxy.

Despite the offer of a new contract several weeks ago – as well as efforts by Blues' manager Manuel Pellegrini and director of football Txiki Begiristain to persuade him to stay – sources close to the star were last night saying he will leave at the end of the campaign.

It will be a blow to City fans who, along with Pablo Zabaleta, rate the popular star as one of their most honest performers.

But it is a bigger set-back to City’s quota of English players.

(Image: Getty)

Having lost Gareth Barry, Micah Richards and Scott Sinclair in the past couple of season’s, City’s stock of English players will be at record low levels once Milner departs.

Milner has been assured by Liverpool he will have chances to play a central midfield role, although he has not been guaranteed exclusive rights to the position.

Kop boss Brendan Rodgers - whose interest in signing Milner was first revealed by the Sunday People last summer – reckons his experience, energy and reputation will be a good influence on his young players as Liverpool move forward after the Gerrard era.

For City, though, it will shape their summer transfer strategy, with England midfielder Barkley sure to be a higher priority once Milner announces he is leaving.

City want to keep Milner, the contract ­offer remains and only last week Pellegrini said: “It would be very difficult to find a more complete player than Milner.

“There are players who are better technically. There are quicker players. There are players who head the ball better. But show me a player who does all the things that Milner does well and there isn’t one.”

However, it looks to be a case of too little, too late from the Etihad boss.

Rodgers’ plan is to pair the 29-year-old with Jordan Henderson in the centre of Liverpool’s midfield in the wake of Gerrard’s departure.

Milner, capped 53 times by England, became the second youngest player to play for Leeds when he made his debut aged 16 years and 309 days in November 2002.

Two years later, he joined Newcastle for £3.6m. In 2008, he made a £12m switch to Aston Villa, with whom he had been on loan during his stay on Tyneside.

In 2010, City swooped for Milner in a £26m five-year deal, including Stephen Ireland.

That deal is now due to expire – Liverpool believe he is on his way to sign for them.