Raheem Sterling has reportedly pushed any negotiations over his new Manchester City contract until mid-June, amidst interest from Arsenal and Tottenham.
According to The Athletic, Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling has decided to hold off on negotiations over a new contract with the club until after England’s international fixtures in June. The 27-year-old is a summer transfer target for Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
Sterling has been with Manchester City since 2015, having arrived from arch-rivals Liverpool. During his seven-year stay at the Etihad Stadium, the speedy winger has grown into one of the best attackers in England and Europe. He has enjoyed a productive 2021/22 campaign, during which he has racked up a tally of 17 goals and eight assists from 46 matches in all competitions.
However, Sterling will be entering the final year of his contract with Manchester City at the end of the season. That, coupled with the recent acquisition of Erling Haaland and Pep Guardiola’s reluctance to use him regularly in big games, has led to question marks over his future, with Arsenal and Tottenham waiting to pounce.
Arsenal are in the market for a wide-forward heading into next season as Mikel Arteta desires to add more quality to his attacking unit. Nicolas Pepe has severely underperformed over the past couple of seasons and is likely to depart in the summer, creating a vacancy that Sterling can fill.
Raheem Sterling becomes the second player to score 50 Premier League goals at the Etihad Stadium, after Sergio Aguero ? pic.twitter.com/ZolZoQq32M
— GOAL (@goal) May 8, 2022
As for Tottenham, they too are intent on bolstering their squad in quality and depth as manager Antonio Conte looks to build a team capable of challenging for top honours. With Steven Bergwijn expected to move on, there will be an opening in the attacking unit. And Sterling, with his versatility and proven pedigree, can be a vital signing for the Lilywhites.
Recent reports had indicated that Tottenham were the front-runners to sign Sterling. However, as per the report from The Athletic, that is not the case. At the same time, though, the former Liverpool star is not inclined towards joining Arsenal either, despite his ties with Arteta, who coached him at Manchester City.
The report states that Sterling is not entirely happy with his situation at Manchester City but remains strongly committed to the club. And he will hold talks over a potential new deal, but only after England’s UEFA Nations League fixtures in June are out of the way. While things are amicable between the two parties, the 27-year-old could look to walk away in the summer if his role remains as it is.
Also Read: Mikel Arteta: Arsenal deal a blueprint of measured success
It is further claimed that in case of an exit, Sterling would prefer joining one of the European elites, amid links with the likes of Barcelona and AC Milan. So, it remains to be seen what the future holds for the ex-QPR attacker. For now though, contract talks are on hold until the season and England’s international assignments next month are completed.
