In a recent print edition (18th September, Page 2), Sport mentioned that Barcelona are weighing up a loan move for Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling in January. It is understood that the Catalan giants are showing interest in recruiting the England international on loan during the winter transfer window.
Sterling’s Diminishing Influence At Manchester
Sterling has been a sporadic feature in Pep Guardiola’s starting XI this season mainly due to the arrival of Jack Grealish from Aston Villa earlier this summer. The former Liverpool wide player has lost his first-team privileges and could be tempted with a loan move to join Barca when the transfer reopens at the start of next year.
The Three Lions star had a successful campaign at the Etihad Stadium recently when he produced a series of impressive displays as a key component of Guardiola’s frontline. Sterling registered 14 goals and 12 assists in 49 appearances for Man City last season in all competitions.
The 26-year-old was a consistent performer at the highest level after he averaged 2.3 shots, 1.3 key passes and 2.1 dribbles per 90 minutes in Premier League football. He even distributed possession with a lot of conviction as he made 86.2% of his attempted passes in the top tier of English football (stats via whoscored).
Is Sterling The Right Choice For Barca?
Sterling can use his electric pace to often get past his marker out on the wide areas. He excels at getting to the byline and can cause all sorts of headaches for the opposition defenders. The English sensation has even transformed himself into a composed finisher in front of the opponent’s goal over the past couple of seasons. He has developed a winning mindset at the blue half of Manchester.
However, Sterling has fallen behind Jack Grealish, Ferran Torres and Gabriel Jesus in Guardiola’s pecking order. Therefore, a loan switch to Barca could appeal to the player as he would be guaranteed regular playing minutes at the Nou Camp.
We can expect Sterling to make an instant impact for Ronald Koeman’s side if Barca can find a way to temporarily get him on board this winter. There is no hiding from the fact that Koeman needs to add more quality in his squad if he wants his players to challenge for a major trophy this season. Sterling could undeniably help the Catalan giants achieve that feat which makes him a great choice for them to pursue in January.
