Liverpool have emerged as a shock destination for Raheem Sterling, who is set for an Etihad exit in January.
According to SportBild journalist Christian Falk, as relayed by Sport Witness, Raheem Sterling is on the verge of leaving Manchester City. The attacker is frustrated over his lack of game-time at Etihad and is reportedly interested in seeking a move away from the club, in an attempt to relaunch his career.
Barcelona have been linked with a move for Sterling recently, but Man City’s hefty price-tag has put them out of contention. But two new teams have apparently emerged as potential suitors for Englishman, and one of them is, quite shockingly, his former club Liverpool.
Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Sterling had actually begun the early parts of his career in Anfield, arriving there in 2010 from the QPR academy. In a few years time, the winger became one of the finest young talents in England and was promoted to the senior side in 2012.
During his three years in Liverpool’s first-team, Sterling made 129 competitive appearances, in which he was involved in almost 50 goals. He had played a vital role in the club’s title charge during the 2013/14 campaign, but the Englishman shockingly moved on to Manchester City in 2015.
Sterling has since enjoyed a stellar campaign at Etihad, featuring in over 300 matches for the Citizens while securing three Premier League titles, one FA Cup and five Carabao Cups. In recent months, though, the attacker has fallen out of favour under Pep Guardiola, especially since the turn of the year.
His poor performances during the first half of last season saw him fall behind the likes of Riyad Mahrez and Phil Foden in the pecking order. Sterling’s standing at Manchester City got worse after the record arrival of Jack Grealish in the summer while Ferran Torres’ elevated status in the team didn’t help either.
As a result, the English international is prepared to move elsewhere and especially welcomes a move abroad, in foreign leagues. But it appears Liverpool are willing to re-sign him, most likely as a direct replacement for Mohamed Salah, who faces an uncertain future at Anfield amid interest from Paris Saint-Germain, who are the other club interested in Sterling.
Even if Salah stays, both him and Sadio Mane are closing in on their thirties and the Reds could do with freshening up their options in attack with an eye on the future.
However, it remains unlikely that Sterling would ever be welcome at Anfield given the way he left the club six years ago. The winger is not well-liked by LFC fans, so the likelihood of this move going through are almost non-existent, which does put Barcelona and PSG in contention to snap up the Man City forward in the near future.
