In a recent interview with Football FanCast, ex-Premier League defender Steve Howey revealed that he believes Manchester City would be ‘mad’ to sell Raheem Sterling this summer. Howey said,
“I think it would be mad to sell Sterling. Where is he going to go, first and foremost?
“We all know how much of a quality player he is and every player has a bit of a dodgy spell. Guardiola loves him and I think Sterling was annoyed when these kind of reports came out.”
Sterling’s Impressive Numbers At The Etihad Stadium Last Season
Sterling enjoyed another outstanding season at Manchester as he put in a run of impressive displays for Man City from the wide areas. The England international registered 14 goals and 12 assists in 49 matches for the Mancunian outfit in the previous campaign in all competitions.
The 26-year-old was a consistent performer for the Mancunian giants after he averaged 2.3 shots, 1.3 key passes and 2.1 dribbles per game in the Premier League last season. He even distributed possession with accuracy based on his pass completion rate of 86.2% in the English top-flight (stats via whoscored).
Should Pep Guardiola Keep Hold Of Sterling Beyond This Summer?
Sterling can often turn on the afterburners to beat his marker off the dribble and is an excellent dribbler with the ball at his feet. He has a very low centre of gravity that helps him make some clever turns and glide past the opposition defenders.
The English wing wizard has even transformed himself into a decent finisher in the attacking third of the pitch. He can also contribute by setting up plenty of promising chances for his teammates up top. Hence, Pep Guardiola should consider retaining Sterling’s services for the time being as he remains a very important member of his first XI.
Unless the Mancunian giants can bring in a suitable replacement, it makes no sense for them to cash in on the 69-time England international this summer. Sterling is also highly versatile and can operate in any position across the frontline. He is primarily a left-sided winger and can also operate on the right flank or play as a centre-forward down the middle.
The English speedster’s current contract with Man City runs out in the summer of 2023. Hence, Guardiola would be wise to keep hold of him beyond this summer as he could help bring more success to the Etihad over the next few seasons.
