Raheem Sterling has no intention of leaving Arsenal ahead of the January window, as he’s willing to fight his way back into Mikel Arteta’s plans.
According to The Standard, Raheem Sterling is willing to fight out for a place in Mikel Arteta’s plans and has no desire to cut short his loan spell at Arsenal. The winger has struggled for game time since making the loan move from Chelsea, as he is eager to showcase his fighting spirit to gain recognition.
The jury is still out on Arsenal’s decision to bring Raheem Sterling in the summer on a loan deal on deadline day. The winger was seen as a good market opportunity at that time by director Edu Gaspar, who stuck a deal with Chelsea that seemed more favourable to the Gunners from a financial standpoint.
While this move was heralded as a smart one at the time, Sterling has not featured with the regularity some had hoped for. The 30-year-old has made only 10 appearances this season, with only four of those coming from the start including two in the Premier League. His biggest impact has come in the EFL Cup, as he’s pencilled in to start on Wednesday against Crystal Palace.
On his future, there have been numerous rumours originating due to his lack of game time, with most suggesting Arsenal were open to parting ways. However, the player himself has a good accord with the squad and Mikel Arteta, whom he has known for many years since their time together at Manchester City, where the current Gunners boss was an assistant to Pep Guardiola.
Sterling is not eager to cut short his loan spell at the club just yet and is willing to fight his way back into Arteta’s plans. The opportunities might have been few, but there’s still a lot of room for improvement on the left wing at Arsenal, as this is where the 30-year-old feels there’s a chance to make the best out of the current situation.
Sterling could get his opportunities
Arteta admitted to having symphathy with Sterling’s situation as he opened up about why the winger hasn’t got the regular minutes. Arsenal have had a lot of injury problems, and there has been a need to manage the minutes of first-team regulars, which has prevented the 30-year-old from playing regularly.
To call him an underperformer would be a lazy analysis at this point, although things will get clear when he does get his opportunities. With the cup game coming up, Sterling can make a point with a solid performance, as there might be an opening to feature in future league games with the left wing generally underperforming this season with Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard both out of form.
