Man City holding onto £49m star amidst Real Madrid interest would be a big statement of intent

Why Manchester City should hold onto Raheem Sterling amidst Real Madrid talks

According to ESPN, Real Madrid are monitoring the situation of Manchester City midfielder Raheem Sterling who is yet to pen a new contract at the Etihad Stadium. The English winger is now into the final two years of his contract and there seem to be no talks over a new deal.

As a result, the Blancos are keeping a close eye on the former Liverpool winger who once expressed his desire to play abroad. (ESPN)

Sterling has been a key member of Pep Guardiola’s side after making a £49million move from Liverpool in 2015, winning the Premier League in record-breaking fashion last season.

He is one of their most potent threats going forward and has scored on a consistent basis over the last two seasons. There’s no reason for Manchester City to let go of the 23-year-old at this point. Sterling still has a long way to go in terms of delivering the end product and can serve as a long-term option for the Cityzens.

Offloading him at this point would not only see them lose around 15-20 goals a season, but they would also need to find another quick and proven replacement. Though Sterling often woos the Manchester City faithful with his pace and ability on the ball. The 23-year-old is also known for squandering glorious opportunities in the final third.

At Manchester City, he will always be a star and a regular feature under Pep Guardiola, but things would be a lot more different in Madrid. Failure to perform on a consistent basis will not only see him come under pressure, but there’s every chance he could end up as another fringe player in the squad.

Sterling was the second highest scorer in the league for Manchester City last season, only behind Sergio Aguero. The former Liverpool winger scored 18 goals and provided 11 assists in 33 appearances. Last season was Sterling’s most successful season in terms of personal accolades too. (Stats courtesy – Premier League)

Despite some moments of mediocrity in front of the goal, he has been delivering the goods, especially at the Etihad. Missing out on his goals will be a huge loss for Manchester City and losing him would also considerably weaken their depth in the final third.

Read more: Man City handing a new contract to this £65,000-a-week star is surely a step in the right direction

Manchester City should do everything they can to hold onto the 23-year-old and should tie him up to a new contract. City have been on the up since Guardiola took over and the champions have to maintain their high status. They can’t afford to send one of their best players to another big European club. The only way to ensure that is to hold onto their best players.