Raheem Sterling will reportedly have to leave Manchester City in January since he could be deemed surplus to requirements.
According to a report by The Telegraph, Manchester City will look to offload Raheem Sterling in January since Pep Guardiola now has too many options up front. The winger will be keen on clocking regular minutes ahead of next year’s World Cup and that is something City might not be able to provide at this point.
Raheem Sterling joined Manchester City from Liverpool – a move that was met with huge backlash from the Reds’ faithful as well as several pundits. The player struggled initially and was nowhere near his Liverpool form.
Under Guardiola’s watchful eye though, Sterling rediscovered himself – lethal, deadly and creative. Since then, he has only gone from strength-to-strength at Etihad but his time on the field could be limited now after the manager’s spending spree this summer.
While Sterling did start in the game against Bournemouth, he won’t be available for Saturday’s match with Liverpool following a red card he picked up at the Vitality Stadium. Additionally, with Marcus Rashford’s performances for England, Sterling will be aware of the need for him to play regularly in order to be selected.
Thus, all these factors could combine together to pave a way out of City for Sterling. If that happens, Arsenal seems to be the Englishman’s next destination. The Gunners could consider playing with Sterling again next year if City make a fresh bid to try to sign Alexis Sanchez in the January transfer window.
It was earlier reported that both clubs were keen on a deal which would see Sanchez join City in exchange for Sterling plus cash. If that happens, it will relieve Arsene Wenger of some pressure to find a replacement for the Chilean superstar.
Moreover, Guardiola’s determination on a reunion with Sanchez could see Sterling depart the club soon. That deal will actually work out for both clubs since Arsenal, too, will prefer the cash plus Sterling deal over mere cash at this stage, considering that their chances of landing a top-class replacement seem rather difficult.