Three possible destinations for Raheem Sterling if he leaves Manchester City
It’s been a strange time for Raheem Sterling. On one hand, he was one of England’s heroes at Euro 2020, scoring vital goals in the group stage and playing a key role throughout the course of the tournament. But on the other hand, his fortunes at Manchester City have been on the slide.
Left out of the team for much of the latter half of last season, Sterling has yet to re-establish himself as a regular starter for Pep Guardiola’s side fuelling speculation that the 26-year-old could be on the move at some point in the near future. Indeed, Sterling confirmed that he would be open to a move abroad if the opportunity were to arise.
“If there was the opportunity to go somewhere else, I would be open to it,” he said. “At this moment in time, football is the most important thing to me. I have always had something that maybe one day I would love to play abroad and see how I meet that challenge.”
With that in mind, let’s take a look at three clubs where Sterling could potentially end up.
Paris Saint-Germain
One of the most obvious destinations for any high-profile footballer looking to depart the Premier League is Paris Saint-Germain. The high wages offered by the club, combined with the chance to live in one of Europe’s most iconic cities, makes PSG a hugely attractive prospect.
Sterling could well flourish in French football. Speedy attackers are always extremely profitable in Ligue 1, and the opportunity to play alongside players like Lionel Messi and Neymar would be very appealing to the Englishman.
PSG may well lose KylianMbappé next summer if the betting exchange is to be believed, with the Frenchman reluctant to sign a new contract. Perhaps Sterling could be a suitable replacement.
Real Madrid
There is a history of UK-based players making the move to Real Madrid, and for many years Los Blancos were seen as a sort of final destination for footballers trying to make their name as the biggest stars in world football. The likes of David Beckham, Michael Owen and Gareth Bale have all worn the famous white shirts, and Sterling may be interested in becoming the next.
There have been rumours that Real Madrid are planning a shrewd recruitment drive next summer, which could include bringing in players like Mbappé and Paul Pogba on free transfers. Whether someone like Sterling would fit in to that is unclear, but the idea of lining out for the Spanish giants is a dream for any footballer.
Bayern Munich
Real Madrid may be a more romantic option, but in terms of fitting into a system and contributing to the team, perhaps Bayern Munich is Sterling’s best bet. Guardiola has done a fine job of moulding him into a valuable cog in Manchester City’s system, getting on the end of moves and positioning himself expertly in attacking areas, and Bayern’s system is not dissimilar.
Bayern are a team who score for fun, and Sterling’s best quality is popping up with goals to finish off sleek attacking passages of play. There’s no doubt that many clubs would be interested in acquiring his signature, so we could well see the Englishman appearing for a European giant in the near future, should things not work out at Manchester City.