As per recent reports, Manchester City are preparing to step up a contract for midfielder Raheem Sterling to keep him at the Etihad. The club could be ready to offer an extension for the player who was in contention to leave the club.
While being a top player, Raheem Sterling has had trouble finding his from lately. His number of appearances for the Cityzens have dropped significantly amidst his criticisms. However, he is still one of Man City’s greatest players having won several titles at the club.
In recent days, the Englishman was in contention for a move out of Manchester City and the most likely destination was Spain. The 26-year-old was linked to a move to FC Barcelona, a club who are in their rebuilding phase.
Raheem Sterling’s success at Manchester City
Sterling joined Man City from Liverpool in 2015 for a record fee of £44m (+£5m). His transfer fee made him the most expensive English player at that time. His debut came on 10th August and after 19 days he scored his first goal for the club.
The England international has been a successful winger under manager Pep Guardiola. He was a regular starter under the Spaniard and made loads of goal contributions. In a total of 309 appearances for Man City across all competitions, Sterling has registered a whopping 118 goals and 88 assists. His single best season was 2019/20, where he scored 31 and assisted 10 goals across all competitions, of which, 20 goals came from the Premier League alone. (stats via TRANSFERMARKT)
The 26-year-old winger’s contributions are backed by his titles with the Manchester side. The 3 time Premier League, 1 FA Cup, 5 Carabao Cup and 2 Community Shield winner at the Etihad, Sterling played a huge part in the club’s 2018/19 Domestic Treble win. The Englishman had 42 goal contributions in 51 appearances in all competitions in that campaign. (stats via TRANSFERMARKT)
A constant return of form can keep Sterling at the Etihad
Even though the Englishman is one of the bests at City, his recent shortcomings have pulled him into the mixer. His poor form at the end of the 2020/21 campaign and the start of this season, has forced Pep to use Sterling as a sub. The player has made fleeting appearances from the bench and has played full 90 mins only 3 times in the league.
However, in the absence of Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne, the England international has taken on the charge well. He started and scored the opener against both Everton and Paris Saint-Germain.
While Barcelona are still in links with the player, his contract at the Etihad expires in 2023. As a result, it is believed that if he maintains his form, an extension would be on the table.
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