With the new Premier League campaign a little over three weeks away the balance of power in Greater Manchester seems to be shifting as to where the major title challenge will come from.

Over the past four seasons Manchester City have recorded two titles and two runners-up slots.

In comparison Manchester United enjoyed a title win in 2013 but have followed that with seventh and fourth place finishes.

However, the transfer activity of the past seven days alone suggests a seismic shift back towards the denizens of Salford when it comes to who will pose the biggest threat to the capital’s challengers – holders Chelsea and a seemingly improving Arsenal.

While City have forked out a reported £49m for the services of 20-year-old England international Raheem Sterling from Liverpool, the Red Devils have brought in proven 25-year-old Italian international Matteo Darmian (£12.7m), 30-year-old Bastian Schweinsteiger – a World Cup winner, Champions League winner and holder of countless German domestic medals – for £14.4m, 25-year-old France international midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin (£25m) and also captured 21-year-old Dutch international Memphis Depay (£25m).

Now obviously United have spent more money than City and the size of your outlay is no guarantee of a return on your money – both clubs can wince at past examples of that scenario.

However, right now spreading your bets looks the better tactic as the two squads assemble for the coming season.

Call me a cynic – though I would prefer the description realist – but I can only see two outcomes to City’s decision to treat Sterling to the Blue Moon serenade for a period of time.

Morgan Schneiderlin

The first scenario is that Sterling continues to show flashes of the talent that has earned him 16 England caps, but fails to find any kind of consistency leaving him contesting the most overpriced Premier League signing tag with Feranando Torres’ £50m move from Liverpool to Chelsea – and on a local level in Manchester gaining him the same kind of notoriety still afforded to Steve Daley over 35 years after his over-priced purchase from Wolves.

The second possibility is that Sterling becomes a star performer week after week and helps City to win some silverware.

However, I would suggest that the upshot of this scenario 12 months down the line will be that it is the staff at the Etihad Stadium who will be fielding the calls claiming sickies while Sterling and his hyper-active agent fuss about rubber-stamping a move to Laliga and either Real Madrid or Barcelona.

At least in the second instance City might make a profit, but I really cannot see a situation where the Eastlands faithful will be flocking to Sterling’s testimonial after 10 trophy-laden seasons – though I will happily be proven completely wrong!

But as the clock ticks down to Premier League kick-off time the equation involving the Greater Manchester rivals would appear to suggest that it is the Salford club who have probably got their sums right.