26-year-old forward asks to leave for Barcelona in January: Reports
According to reports from Mundo Deportivo, Raheem Sterling has urged Manchester City to expedite his loan move to Barcelona in January. The winger was on the La Liga club's radar during the last transfer window. Despite their failure to sign him, he is still on their radar for January. Given Manchester City's current circumstances, Sterling may be considering a move away from the club.
Sterling is no longer a regular starter for City, and he made his fourth league start in the Citizens' 3-0 triumph over Everton on Sunday, scoring a goal. The 26-year-old is fed up with the lack of opportunities at City and has told Pep Guardiola that he wants to sign for the Catalan club in the next window.
Will we be seeing Raheem Sterling at Barcelona in the not too distant future? 🤔 https://t.co/nXqLRXO7rm
Xavi Hernández's side has expressed interest in signing the former Liverpool star on a loan deal with a buy option in January. The issue, though, is La Liga's salary cap, which makes it tough for any new player to join Barcelona during the mid-season transfer window.
Barcelona want to sign Manchester City star on a loan deal with an option to buy
Even if Sterling agrees to accept a pay cut to join Barcelona on loan, the Spanish club will have to sell some players to reduce their payroll budget first. According to Sport, this appears to be a challenging task in January. Hence, Sterling's departure from the club in the approaching transfer window appears doubtful.
Sterling is aware of the requirements that must be met in order for him to join Barcelona, but he remains committed to leaving Manchester City. After falling down the pecking order at the club, the player no longer wants to play under Pep Guardiola. Sterling believes that relocating to Barcelona will help him restart his career.
🚨 Barcelona will prioritise the signing of Man City star Raheem Sterling over Dani Olmo, with Manchester United poised to swoop for Olmo as they continue to track his situation.
(Source: El Nacional) https://t.co/z24xuhMsfW
Manchester City have no obligation to make things easy for Barcelona. Sterling is still a very important player, as he demonstrated against Everton at the weekend. He caused all sorts of issues for Rafael Benitez's team. Manchester City will strive to keep Raheem Sterling away from Barcelona at least in the January transfer window