Is Raheem Sterling a key player again at Manchester City?

It is only two months since Pep Guardiola and Raheem Sterling had something of a public disagreement. After the England international admitted he would be open to leaving Manchester City due to a lack of game time, his manager expressed surprise.

“I didn’t know it and I think the club neither,” Guardiola said. “Raheem is our player, hopefully he will [continue to] be an incredibly important player for us. I don’t know if he wants to play more game time like Riyad [Mahrez], who doesn’t play and he doesn’t complain, like Joao [Cancelo] doesn’t play and he doesn’t complain.

“What I want from Raheem and everyone is they have to be satisfied to be here and delighted to be in this club. If that’s not the case they are free to take the best decision for the player and his family.”

At that point a sustained spell on the substitutes’ bench seemed to beckon for Raheem Sterling. Instead, he has played his way back into Guardiola’s good books. After five goals in his last eight appearances in all competitions, Sterling is a part of City’s first-choice XI again.

His latest goal, a penalty in the 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers, was his 100th in the Premier League. Reaching that milestone is 304 appearances is no mean feat for a wide player whose first few years in the division were as a youngster still learning his trade. In 209 league outings for City, Sterling has found the net 82 times.

The year 2021 would have been even better for Raheem Sterling had Manchester City and England not lost in the finals of the Champions League and European Championship respectively. But there has still been plenty to celebrate.

Sterling won his third Premier League title and his fourth League Cup last season. He was England’s standout performer en route to their first appearance in a major tournament final since 1966. His efforts at Euro 2020 are the primary reason for his nomination for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award.

Raheem Sterling seems to have been around forever, but he only turned 27 last week. In theory his peak years are still ahead of him. Under the tutelage of Guardiola and Gareth Southgate, he continues to refine his game.

He still does not get the credit he deserves for his footballing intelligence, which his best evidenced by his astute movement without the ball. While not the most natural finisher in front of goal, his scoring record speaks for itself.

Even so, Sterling’s career is approaching a crossroads. He is out of contract at the Etihad Stadium in 2023. His comments in October included the divulgence that “maybe one day I would love to play abroad and see how I would come up against that challenge.”

Were he to leave City, it is hard to imagine Raheem Sterling joining another Premier League club. If he does decide to seek pastures new it would surely be to test himself in another country. Real Madrid and Barcelona have been linked with the forward in the past. Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich would surely be interested if he was available on a free transfer in 2023.

Sterling could leave City before then. If he announces that he does not want to sign a new deal, the Premier League champions may opt to cash in on him next summer.

There is plenty to be done before then, though. City are the favourites to win the Premier League and the Champions League. His performances in recent weeks suggest Sterling has a big role to play in both competitions. For now at least, the transfer talk can wait – and Guardiola will be thankful for that.

 

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