Raheem Sterling: Does he deserve a new contract?

Raheem Sterling! Some fans(some Liverpool fans!) consider him a traitor for jumping ships for Money. Some consider him a player who needs to work on his finishing. On the other hand, Pep Guardiola rates him highly. With his contract set to expire, there are some issues going on with agreeing to a new contract. The wage demands are the stumbling blocks as per reports.

Let’s consider some facts. Raheem Sterling is just 23 and at that age, he has racked up 203 premier league appearances. He has scored 53 goals and 36 assists in the process. He was a good player at Liverpool and at Manchester City, he has taken his game to another level. Guardiola is in process of molding him to be even better. At 23 he is yet to reach his peak.

In the 2017-18 season, Raheem Sterling bagged 18 goals and 11 assists. Manchester City won the league and his contribution in it can’t be forgotten. If it wasn’t for his finishing he would have easily racked up more. This season the start is good as he has 4 goals and 3 assists already. The stats will improve as the season progress.

The current contract of Raheem Sterling is coming to an end this season. With the management yet to come in terms with Sterling, sooner or later the big guns will come poaching for him. There were reports linking him to a move to Real Madrid. The concept of signing Raheem sterling for free will be an interesting prospect for any team.

Verdict

So the verdict is: Make sterling sign the contract. He is a great player and has a crucial contribution to Guardiola’s system. It would be foolish from Manchester City’s part to let him leave on a free. He is the one for the present and for the future.