In August of 2021, Manchester City were in desperate need of a striker and after failing in their pursuit to land Tottenham striker Harry Kane, the Blues turned to other options.
Step forward Cristiano Ronaldo, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner wanted out of Juventus and City were at the front of the queue to acquire the then 36-year-old superstar’s services. Despite not being at the peak of his powers when City was sniffing around the legendary forward, Ronaldo still managed a staggering 36 goals and 4 assists in just 44 appearances for The Old Lady in the 20/21 season.
Where does Raheem Sterling fit into this? According to Spanish publication, El Mundo/@elmundoes the Blues failed in their effort to bring Ronaldo to the Etihad due to Sterling’s proposed move to Barcelona collapsing. Current Barcelona manager Xavi is a well-known admirer of Sterling and famously said the England winger could be the best player in the world.
Despite taking over from Ronald Koeman in November of 2021, Xavi would have been in communication with the club about potential signings because of Koeman’s impending exit, so Sterling to the Nou Camp doesn’t seem as far-fetched as originally thought.
As it turned out a phone call with Ronaldo’s father figure in football Sir Alex Ferguson saw the Portuguese return to Manchester United, Sterling stayed at City for one more season winning his fourth Premier League title, before departing for Chelsea.
City bided their time for a striker and ended up with the phenomenon Erling Haaland who at the time of writing currently has 31 goals in all competitions for the Blues this season. Staggering statistics.