Manchester City's move for Raheem Sterling shows that the club are now amongst the elite in Europe when it comes to competing for top players, according to Patrick Vieira.

City have had two bids rejected for the England international, with the second offer worth around £40 million.

"I think every big name will be linked with City because City is a big club in Europe," Vieira told ESPN FC. "Players will want to join the club and have success.

"I think if you go down and ask 10 people what they think about him, I think nine would give you a positive answer. I would be part of the nine people because he's shown how good he is, how well he's been doing at Liverpool. If he is in the market, not just City would be interested in him.

"I think when I look at the team four or five years ago, as opposed to where it is now, it's obviously a different level. I remember before I joined the club, Manchester City were fighting to stay in the Premier League.

"We're just talking about four or five years ago, now they are fighting to win the title. They are fighting to win the Champions League. They are competing against the best teams in Europe. So I think the team has improved a lot, the club is really going up fast.

"Now, when you have Manchester City in the market, to try to bring a big name, big name players think about it. That shows how Manchester City have become bigger and important in international football."