Raheem Sterling’s future at Manchester City has been up in the air for months after a rift with Pep Guardiola was rumoured. Last season, the 26-year-old wasn’t commanding a regular starting place in the latter stages of the Champions League and suitors wanted to take advantage over the summer.
Tottenham Hotspur and Barcelona were linked with Sterling without a deal ever materialising – the England international didn’t want to join Spurs and Barca didn’t have the money to sign him due to their £1.2bn debt. Mundo Deportivo (h/t Sport Witness) say the saga isn’t over, however.
They report that Barca could return for Sterling when the winter transfer window opens, adding that the Catalan giants now have the money to lure him away from the Etihad Stadium. City paid £44m for Sterling in 2015 and his market value is currently £81m, so do Barca really have the money?
They had to sign Memphis Depay (free transfer from Olympique Lyonnais), Sergio Aguero (free transfer from Manchester City), Eric Garcia (free transfer from Manchester City) and Luuk De Jong (loan from Sevilla) due to the lack of available funds, so Mundo Deportivo’s claim doesn’t appear to be accurate.
Barca have Depay, Philippe Coutinho, Ansu Fati, Ousmane Dembele and Yusuf Demir at their disposal too, so they don’t have a fervent need to sign Sterling.
In other news, Man City ‘scouting’ 18 y/o attacking-midfielder ‘intensely’, 5 other clubs keen