Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has said he wants Raheem Sterling to sign a new contract but claims any decision over the forward’s future will ultimately be taken by the club.
Having joined City in 2015, Sterling has been a major part of their success over the last seven years, racking up over 320 appearances.
The 27-year-old’s form has stuttered over the past year but he appears now to be a key part of Pep Guardiola’s plans, as things stand.
Despite not always being a regular this season in Guardiola’s XI, Sterling’s excellent display on Saturday shows just how ruthless the England man can be on his day.
Sterling, who had been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona, has less than 15 months remaining on his £300,000 per week contract, and there has been little progress in negotiating fresh terms.
Guardiola wants Sterling, who had suggested he would consider a move abroad, to sign a new contract but says any negotiations are out of his hands.
“Nobody doubts how important it is,” said Guardiola. “He has shown it. What I want is for tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, he and all the players play well.
“If we count the amount of games he has played since we are together, it’s a lot. He was a key player.
“In the future I don’t know what’s going to happen, because the club decides. The club all the time. When they extend the player contracts, I give my opinion but the club takes the decisions all the time.”
These Guardiola’s comments were shared on Twitter by City Xtra and it attracted plenty of attention from the club’s supporters.
Please sign man
— 7💫 (@Hagmcfc) February 13, 2022
Extend the contract Razza 🥺
— The Real Agent (@Perrydan9) February 13, 2022
We need to sort out our contract extensions ffs
— Kevin (@kdb2018) February 13, 2022
Give sterling contract
— Stark (@Stark03865875) February 14, 2022
Pep is the club’s manager. Pep and nobody else decides the players he wants to use. If he said to the board ”I need Raheem at all cost”, ofcourse he would extend. But it seems Pep avoids this question. Hopefully it means he realized he can get better players and sell Sterling.
— sanesou (@sanesou) February 13, 2022
Let him go already. Imagine if we had a clinical player in the important positions that he couldn’t finish.
— Eric (@wildmusky) February 14, 2022
