Raheem Sterling drops Manchester City exit hint

Posted Friday, October 15, 2021 by 101 GREAT GOALS

Sterling casts doubt on Man City future

England international Raheem Sterling has cast doubt over his future at the Etihad Stadium, after quotes emerged from the Manchester City star, refusing to rule out a move away from the club.

According to CBS Sports' James Benge, Sterling – when speaking with FT Business – made mention of being open to the opportunity to move abroad for his next port of call, with playing in another country a personal dream.

The England man also remained cool and confident regarding his current status under Pep Guardiola, stating "I'm not a person that's going to complain. I've not tried to make it a bigger deal than it actually is. I get on with my work, do what I need to do. And I'm just raring to go — playing football matches…scoring goals regularly."

Rapid decline in stature at the Etihad

Once one of the darlings of Man City, Raheem Sterling is no longer viewed as a key piece of the puzzle under Pep Guardiola on the blue half of Manchester.

After a slow start to life at the club in 2015 in the wake of his move from Liverpool, Sterling finally got his engine revving the following season, scoring 7-goals and adding 10-assists in thirty-three Premier League fixtures. But it was the 2017-18 campaign which saw the Liverpool academy graduate truly explode, finding the back of the net 18-times and adding 15-assists in a stellar campaign.

His star would continue to rise rapidly the following year to the tune of 17-goals and 12-assists, and the winger would finally hit the 20-goal mark during the 2019-20 season. All told, Sterling's goal contributions for City have been superb; 115-goals and 88-assists in 302-appearances, a contribution rate of 0.67 goals+assists per 90 minutes.

But despite his long-standing contributions in helping City to net three Premier League titles, Sterling has only featured in the club's XI twice in the Premier League this season, and now finds himself firmly behind Jack Grealish in the first-team pecking order, while being used as a tactically versatile sub rather than a key asset.

It is unclear where Sterling would go should he test himself on foreign shores, but considering that the owner of 71 England caps is still just 26-years-old, there is time (and there will be suitors) for him to reassert himself on the big stage.