In a recent report, The Sun offered an update on the future of Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling’s future. It is understood that the English speedster is open to penning a new deal with Man City as long as he is given assurances over assuming a key role in Pep Guardiola’s squad in the future.
Sterling’s Underwhelming Start To This Premier League Season
The 26-year-old has made a slow start to this campaign as he has struggled to be consistent with his offensive contributions in the final third. Sterling participated in ten matches for the Mancunian giants last season, scoring one goal and providing one assist across all competitions.
Most of the Kingston-born talent’s appearances have come off the bench which could be why he averaged 1.7 shots, 0.6 key passes and 1.0 dribbles per game in the Premier League. He deserves credit for linking up play well with his teammates deep inside the opposition half after making 82.6% of his attempted passes in the top tier of English football (stats via whoscored).
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Should Manchester City Offer Sterling A New Contract?
Sterling remains one of the quickest wingers in English football as he can often turn on the afterburners to breeze past his marker out on the wide areas. He can be a delight to watch when he is dribbling at full swing in the final third and has a low centre of gravity that helps him make a few smart turns inside the opponent’s penalty area.
The England international can get himself into some promising areas in the attacking end of the pitch. Sterling has also been a good finisher for Man City in recent seasons, but the goals seem to have dried up for the player of late which is something he needs to rectify if he wants to remain a key player for the Mancunian giants.
At 26, the Three Lions star is enjoying the peak years of his playing career, so Guardiola should think about offering him a new deal if he plans to use his more often in the coming seasons. Otherwise, it is only fair to Sterling if Man City let him go next year as he needs to play regular first-team football at the highest level.
