Manchester City should give in to Raheem Sterling’s wage demands

According to The Guardian, talks over a new contract between Manchester City and Raheem Sterling have broken down as the club are reluctant to meet the player’s increased wage demands (h/t The Guardian).

Sterling, who joined Manchester City from Liverpool in 2015 for a fee of  £44million, has only one year remaining on his current contract and the 23-year-old winger wants a significant hike in his wages to sign a new contract (h/t The Guardian). The English international currently earns around £170,000-a-week but wants an improved contract that would offer him wages of  £220,000-a-week, making him one of the club’s highest paid players (h/t Guardian).

Sterling has become of one the top players at the Etihad and has successfully taken his game to a new level under Pep Guardiola’s stewardship. He was one of City’s top scorers last season as he went on to score 18 goals in the Premier League from 33 appearances. Over the course of four seasons, Sterling has made a total of 144 appearances for the Sky Blues, finding the back of the net on 47 occasions.

The 23-year-old has been in red-hot form in the ongoing season as well, starting four games and scoring three goals. He has been City’s livewire in the final third and has effectively linked play with the likes of Bernardo Silva and Sergio Aguero.

To be honest, Sterling is one of the hottest properties in the Premier League and City had to break the bank to sign him three years back. The fact that he has already achieved a lot of success at the tender age of 23 makes him an experienced customer and a valuable asset to any team in the world. Sometimes, it is easy to forget that he is still young, given that he burst onto the scene at Anfield as a 17-year-old in 2012.

A player characterized by insane pace and lightning-quick reactions, Sterling has shown the adaptability to play in different positions in the attacking third. His flexibility to play as a winger on either side of the park and as a supporting striker make him an indispensable weapon for Manchester City.

Furthermore, his low centre of gravity allows him to run comfortably with the ball at his feet and get past the defenders with nimble footwork. His agility and athleticism make him a potent threat down the flanks. Sterling also has a good range of passing for a natural winger and often uses it to link the play with his teammates.

In his earlier years, Sterling was all about raw pace and energy but now, he has added quite a few tricks to his repertoire of skills. He has matured into one of the finest attackers in the Premier League and his positioning, awareness and decision-making ability at crucial moments have vastly improved. His finishing has also improved to a great extent. 

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Given that Sterling is still 23, he does have his best years ahead of him and City must not lose their star attacker. Although the player has demanded a significant hike in his wages, the club should give in to his demands as he is definitely worth all the money