Why Manchester City must tie down Raheem Sterling to fresh terms

According to a report by BBC, Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling is in talks with the club regarding a contract extension.

This does sound reassuring, especially since a report by The Sun had recently claimed that the Englishman will refuse to sign a new contract unless manager Pep Guardiola’s tenure at the Etihad is extended.

While it remains to be seen as to how things playout for the Spanish coach, the Cityzens must go all out and secure Sterling’s long-term future at the earliest.

The 24-year-old’s current contract runs until 2023 but considering his dazzling performances for City so far, suffice to say that he has certainly earned the new deal in the offing.

The Sun further reports that his new deal could potentially see him earning a whopping £450,000-a-week in wages. That is quite an eye-watering sum for a player so young but over the years, Sterling has emerged as one of the brightest prospects in the continent.

Since Guardiola’s arrival at the club, the former Liverpool ace has arguably blossomed into the best version of himself. Having joined City for a fee of £49m, Sterling took some time to settle down. But in those difficult times, the City boss played a massive role in extracting his best. And now, the pacy attacker has established himself as an indispensable member of Guardiola’s squad.

Over the last two seasons, they have won the Premier League trophy twice. City also bagged all honours across England in the last term.

While the Manchester-based outfit is yet to make a statement in the Champions League, they simply cannot afford to lose a player as lethal as Sterling.

Having scored 10 goals in his last 20 league appearances for City, the promising Englishman is capable of being a game-changer on his day. Currently earning wages in the region of £300,000-a-week, the winger has attracted attention from La Liga giants Real Madrid in the recent past (h/t The Sun).

As things stand, City have fallen short when compared to runaway league leaders Liverpool, who are 9 points ahead at the top of the table. And losing Sterling anytime soon would be a major blow.

Thus, the fact that they have opened talks regarding a new contract with the English star does sound like a step in the right direction.