According to a recent report by L’Equipe, reigning European champions Liverpool are said to be considering re-signing former Anfield star Raheem Sterling in the summer. The report suggests that the Reds are ‘thinking’ about making a move for the Englishman, but are resigned to waiting until their transfer budget for the upcoming summer window is actually revealed. With the current distribution of power in the Premier League, it wouldn’t be overly surprising to see Sterling make the switch back to his boyhood club.
One of Sterling’s representatives is said to have even engaged in dialogue with L’Equipe on the matter, as translated by The Sun, where they went on to say, “Even if Raheem is attached to Manchester City, he hasn’t forgotten Liverpool, because that’s where he became who he is as a man and as a player. Of course, there was controversy surrounding his exit, but since then, time has run its course and everything is possible.”
The England international recently conceded in an Instagram Q&A session that he still has a permanent place in his heart for Liverpool.
What Is Sterling’s Current Predicament At Manchester City?
Manchester City signed the Englishman for a relatively average transfer fee in the summer of 2015, and he’s since gone on to become one of the best players in the Premier League, if not in the whole of Europe. Although his return of 11 goals from 24 appearances this season does look good on paper, the speedster’s numbers from last season were something to behold. The Englishman was the talk of the for the entirety of the season, as the Citizens seemed to completely walk away with the league title.
This time around though, things haven’t gone quite as planned. The Reds have been the dominant force in the league since the opening day, and the fans have undoubtedly experienced a heavy shift in the balance of power. Sterling has clarified in the past that his move to Manchester City was never motivated by money and that his intention was solely to add more trophies to the cabinet. In that case as well, considering the current footballing scenario, Liverpool do look better placed than Manchester City to challenge for titles, be it in England or Europe.
Why Pep Guardiola Shouldn’t Even Consider Letting Sterling Leave
The Citizens haven’t had a shortage of attacking firepower over the last couple of seasons. However, they have still come undone against the free-flowing and dominant football being displayed by Liverpool this season. Although the Citizens looked like the team that were going to monopolise the English top-flight, the change in the scenario has been sudden, and for that, Jurgen Klopp deserves an immense amount of credit. The Englishman has been one of the Citizens’ most impactful players over the last few years, and it’s perhaps not surprising that the German wants to bring Sterling back home.
Pep Guardiola, on the other hand, will have to work on rebuilding his team in the summer and carrying them back to the top of the Premier League. Raheem Sterling is a much more composed and dangerous attacking presence than Leroy Sane and Riyad Mahrez, and that is sure to be running in the manager’s head as well. Guardiola isn’t a manager that’s used to losing, and even if the title-count doesn’t go their way this season, he’ll do well to block any advances that Liverpool makes for their English stalwart in the summer.
