Raheem Sterling has been having a good time with Manchester City for quite a while now, especially with his form and brilliant performances for the Cityzens and that will explain why the club has moved to extend his contract, now even willing to give him a better offer.
A report has claimed that Manchester City are willing to enter a new contract worth £450,000-a-week with the Englishman but he will only sign the new contract if his condition is met.
After moving to the Etihad from Liverpool in a deal worth £49million, Sterling has worked really hard to develop himself, gradually climbing into the list of the best attacking players in the world.
His ground for loyalty to Guardiola
His condition as unexpected as it seems is understandable. Sterling wants assurance that Guardiola will stay beyond the 18 months he has left on his current deal before signing a new contract. This will be because of his loyalty to the former Barcelona boss.
Guardiola had sought out Sterling in 2015 to help aid his development. In fact, when Alexis Sanchez was considering joining City, Guardiola refused to sanction a deal which could have seen Sterling move to the Emirates.
The bond had started there with Guardiola keen on turning the Englishman into a world star. Should Sterling decide to sign the £450,000-a-week deal, he would become Manchester City’s highest-paid player.
Raheem Sterling’s season in numbers
His first season with Manchester City was a bit tough, with him trying to settle in and getting used to the playing style in the club. He played a total of 31 matches for Manchester City in the Premier League, scoring only six. This left him at an average of 0.19 goals per match.
He had 52 shots with 22 shots on target and 42% shooting accuracy.
For his team play, he had just two assists, 846 passes, leaving him at an average of 27.29 passes per match and two big chances created.
On the defense, he had 34 tackles, 16 blocked shots, 16 interceptions, and three clearances. (Premier League stat)
The following season was a bit better for the Englishman but not up to the level of what was paid to bring him in.
He played a total of 33 matches for Manchester City in the Premier League scoring only seven, leaving him at an average of 0.21 goals per match. He also had six assists, 1,033 passes, leaving him at 31.30 passes per match, with seven big chances created.
He had 34% shooting accuracy, 24 tackles, 22 blocked shots, 16 interceptions, and three clearances. (Premier League stat)
He started to pick up the good form in the 2017/2018 season. He played a total of 33 matches and scored 18 goals, leaving him at an average of 0.55 goals per match, with 11 assists from 1,170 passes, which left him at an average of 35.45 passes per match and 11 big chances created.
He had a total of 80 shots with 35 shots on target, 40% shooting accuracy, 19 tackles, 19 blocked shots, nine interceptions, and seven clearances. (Premier League stat)
The season after that had gone so well for him, shooting him to the level of the best attacking footballers in the world and he has continued with the form this season.
This season so far, he has played 12 Premier League matches for Manchester City and has scored seven goals, leaving him at an average of 0.58 goals per match. He has also had 37 shots and 11 shots on target. He has one assist, 439 passes, leaving him at 36.58 passes per match and seven big chances created.
Conclusion
It is worthy to note that Sterling deserves the raise and if he chooses to be loyal to the coach that helped him get to this point in his career, he shouldn’t be blamed for it. His loyalty is not misplaced.
