According to The Sun, Raheem Sterling is willing to stay put at Manchester City, amid a new contract offer worth a whopping £450k a week. It is believed that the English international will not sign the extension until manager Pep Guardiola commits his long-term future at the Etihad Stadium. The Catalans’ current contract at City expires at the end of next season, putting Man City in a delicate situation.
Does Sterling really a deserve an extension?
Sterling has benefited a lot following the arrival of Guardiola in 2016. Despite a slow start to his career at the Etihad Stadium, the English international is now considered as one of the best players on the planet. He has gradually improved under the Catalan mastermind, which is clearly backed up by statistics.
Indeed, Sterling had scored only seven goals under Guardiola’s first season in charge of Manchester City. But, within the past couple of years, the winger has turned into a goal-machine, netting a combined total of 35 goals during the 2017/18 and 2018/19 campaigns. And this season, he has performed at a whole new level, scoring seven goals in just 12 Premier League matches.
Therefore, Manchester City must find a way to extend Sterling’s contract. With Sergio Aguero nearing the final phase of his career, his goalscoring prowess could be key, in the event of the Argentine’s potential decline or departure from the Etihad.
What should Man City do here?
Unfortunately, Guardiola’s future is not in Manchester City’s hands. The Catalan has hardly stayed at a club for long-term, and with so many managerial spots opening up, it won’t be surprising to see him going elsewhere in the future. Even a return to Bayern Munich could be a possibility, with the Spaniard still owning a flat in Munich city centre.
The fact that the Sky Blues are trailing behind Liverpool in the title race also reduces the chances of Guardiola’s committing to Man City for a long-term. Therefore, Sterling’s demands certainly serve as a massive blow for the club.
They could, however, start looking for potential replacements. Former academy starlet and current Borussia Dortmund superstar Jadon Sancho is an obvious option. However, it would be interesting to see as to whether the youngster would be willing to return to Manchester.
Another option is Bayer Leverkusen’s Kai Havertz as well as RB Leipzig’s Timo Werner. Both these players have performed consistently in the Bundesliga and should be excellent replacements for Sterling.
