We are now only a few days away from seeing an end to the long awaited Raheem Sterling transfer saga. The Englishman was scheduled to travel with Liverpool on their pre-season tour that begins in Thailand, but was withdrawn from the squad and he is understood to be staying home in order to complete his transfer to Manchester City.
The Sky Blues have finally managed to agree terms with Liverpool over the signing of Sterling, a deal which is rumored to be in the range of £49 million.
Sterling had been constantly linked with City since the opening of the transfer market and with the deal officially confirmed, it marks the first major signing of the summer for Pellegrini. City have been linked a number of star players but have not been successful until now, and will next look to seal a few more deals before the start of the new season. The signing of the English international will greatly help City improve their home-grown quota, whilst also adding a fine young player to their squad.
The signing also now makes Sterling the most expensive English player, the record previously held by Andy Carroll after his £35 million move to Liverpool. Even with the Reds being fairly busy in the transfer market, it will not be easy to replace to a talent like Sterling. The 20-year-old will be looking forward to Champions League action next season and will be eager to grace Eastlands with his skill and class. Outside90 looks at what this move could entail for the youngster’s still-developing career.
Deadly partnership
For starters let us all take a moment and think about the horror that Premier League defenders are about to face in dealing with a lethal partnership that we are likely to witness in Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Sterling. The Jamaican-born playmaker has the opportunity to be part of a historic setup, that if successful can tear apart defenses and also prove to be one of if not the premier League’s best attacking trios. Aguero and Silva have already shown what they are capable of after forming a fantastic duo, scoring for fun at times in 2014-15.
Pro's of Sterling deal: Liverpool have £40M+ to spend
Con's of Sterling deal: Liverpool have £40M+ to spend
— Matthew Ordish (@AnfieldMatt) July 12, 2015
All I ask is that Brendan Rodgers doesn't take 49m to the store and come back with a truck-full of spare parts. And that's asking a lot.
— James Tyler (@JamesTylerESPN) July 12, 2015
Champions League football
Every young footballer dreams of playing Champions league football and with Sterling already achieving that last season with Liverpool, he can aim higher this time and maybe target winning the competition with this new club. The Englishman has the world at his feet and is now presented with a fantastic platform to be one of Europe’s greats. City fans, as well as the rest of the continent will be keen to see some stellar performances from Sterling in the coming season’s Champions League.
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A City legend
A bit too early to consider, but Sterling definitely has it in him to be exactly that. He is a natural talent and seems to get better every year. At only 20-years-old, he can surely achieve a lot during his time at the Etihad. We have seen the price-tag pressure take down a lot of brilliant players in the past, but Sterling will be keen to remain grounded and work hard towards achieving more and more success, with a long career ahead of him.
One man who will be particularly happy with the deal will be Manuel Pellegrini, who seemed desperate to add players to his squad after he saw a number of his big names exit the club. City begin their Australian tour and everyone, especially the fans, will be hopeful to catch a glimpse of their new star in a sky blue strip. With the deal yet to be officially confirmed, they will just have to be on the edges only for a little longer. Will this move prove to be redemption for young Sterling? Only time can tell.
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