Man City are set to relaunch talks over a new contract for Raheem Sterling. The England winger’s future has looked uncertain over the past few months, having fallen out of favour towards the end of last season, while the arrival of Jack Grealish is set to make his task of returning to top club form even trickier.
Towards the back end of last campaign, Phil Foden grasped his opportunity on the left wing with both hands, leaving Sterling out in the cold.
However, England manager Gareth Southgate showed faith in the 26-year-old during Euro 2020, and Sterling rewarded him with three crucial goals.
Undoubtedly, those performances will give him a much-needed momentum boost heading into the new season.
Sterling only has two years left on his City contract, while the last round of negotiations ended without an agreement.
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Foden has been labelled by Guardiola as the most talented player he has ever worked with, and with the 21-year-old growing in every sense of the word, Sterling may have a tough time re-establishing himself in Manchester.
Jack Grealish, a British record £100million signing from Aston Villa, also made his debut on the left wing during Saturday’s Community Shield defeat to Leicester.
Regardless of Sterling’s contract situation, Arsenal and Spurs were always going to have a tough time luring in a player of his calibre without the prospect of Champions League football.
In fact, earlier this summer the winger reportedly rejected the opportunity to move to Spurs as part of a part-exchange deal for Harry Kane.
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City’s attacking ranks could become even more crowded if a deal for Kane is worked out, although departures are expected as a means to free up finances and space.
Bernardo Silva, who has been linked with a number of Premier League clubs, could be the most likely to make way.
In a nutshell, renewed contract negotiations indicate that City are keen to keep hold of Sterling, who is approaching membership of the prestigious Premier League 100 club at the tender age of 26.
Grealish’s arrival throws a spanner in the works, but Sterling has the talent and experience to rise to the challenge. Guardiola clearly believes this too, which could put an end to Arsenal and Tottenham hopes.