Raheem Sterling has one year left on his contract at Man City and could be on his way out of the Etihad Stadium if he doesn’t put pen to paper on an extension. The 27-year-old has interest from Chelsea and Real Madrid and might be tempted to leave if he’s unhappy in Manchester.
Sterling requested a departure at the start of the campaign after being left out of big games last season. The England international was open to a move abroad when Barcelona were linked, so a move to La Liga has been mooted before.
Whelan told Football Insider: “I think there are very few clubs capable of prising a player away from Man City right now. You’re talking about Barcelona, Real Madrid, and possibly Paris Saint-Germain. It would be extremely difficult to turn them down.
“The history says it all for Real Madrid, and Sterling would enhance them even more and give them another option. It’ll be a tempting offer. There aren’t many who can say no to Real Madrid when they come calling. He’s won pretty much everything at Man City, so maybe he just needs that fresh challenge.”
Sterling joined the Sky Blues from Liverpool in 2015 and has gone on to make 339 appearances in all competitions, scoring 131 goals with 95 assists. The 27-year-old has been a terrific servant, but he’s so far refusing to sign a new deal which could mean his days are numbered in Manchester.
Pep Guardiola has always said he won’t stand in a player’s way if they want to leave, so Sterling would likely be sold if he requested it this summer – he could leave on a free next year otherwise.
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He is a good player, but he is not a guaranteed starter at City because we have better alternatives. He adds to the squad but we have others who are more important.
He’s been a good servant to the club scoring important goals at crucial times. But, his indecision and lack of confidence these past 6+ months largely contributed to missed points. It’s harsh but we have to keep evolving in order to stay one step ahead. Other teams are going to be spending large sums of gelt just to compete and with Liverpool running us so close, proves we are not as far ahead as we should be. I hope he gets the move he desires.