Barcelona, Chelsea and Real Madrid have reportedly been offered a chance to sign Manchester City and England forward Raheem Sterling this summer.
According to AS, Manchester City are ready to offload Raheem Sterling in the summer transfer window and have been offering him around to top clubs across Europe to find a suitor. Premier League rivals Chelsea have been given an opportunity to sign the England international, along with La Liga heavyweights Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Sterling joined Manchester City from Liverpool in 2015 in a deal worth €65 million and has enjoyed tremendous success during his time at the Etihad Stadium. The 27-year-old has made 339 appearances for the Cityzens, scoring 131 goals and setting up 95 more, winning four Premier League titles and other domestic honours.
However, Sterling has seen his importance within the squad reduce over the past year, with manager Pep Guardiola often overlooking him for the big games, as was the case in the UEFA Champions League semi-final tie against Real Madrid last month. With his contract expiring in 2023, the winger is now considering his future at the Etihad and the club themselves are open to the idea of a sale.
Given his age, proven quality and versatile nature, there is unlikely to be a shortage of suitors for Sterling if he is made available. And as per the report, he is already being offered to elite clubs across Europe, with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Chelsea given a chance to land the former Liverpool prodigy.
Barcelona have held an interest in Sterling for a while now and could decide to launch a move for the England international as they seek a replacement for contract rebel Ousmane Dembele. The Frenchman will likely leave as a free agent at the end of this month, and the Catalans will need to secure a top-quality operator to fill the void.
A move for Leeds United’s Raphinha has been mooted heavily, but Sterling is also an option for Barcelona. Although signing him could be beyond their means due to the club’s poor financial health.
Real Madrid, too, have been linked with a move for Sterling of late after they missed out on the signing of Kylian Mbappe. The Merengues are on the lookout for attacking additions, and the 27-year-old Manchester City can be a worthy acquisition due to his versatile nature.
However, with the three non-EU spots in the squad already occupied, fitting the England star into the roster could make the move unlikely. On top of that, Real Madrid are also looking at Bayern Munich’s Serge Gnabry as an option, who could be available for just €40 million, potentially making him a cheaper alternative.
Chelsea are another club who have been offered the services of Sterling. The Blues, like Barcelona and Chelsea, have shown an interest in the former Liverpool ace as Thomas Tuchel looks to revamp his attacking unit. The likes of Christian Pulisic, Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech could be shown the doors, potentially paving the way for Sterling to arrive.
Chelsea have the financial means to land Sterling as well. But considering they are also pushing for Barcelona’s Dembele, there might not be room for both players to arrive this summer. So, it remains to be seen where Sterling ends up as Manchester City prepare to cut ties with him.