Sterling to be Sold?

Most of you have probably already seen the article on city watch:

https://www.mcfcwatch.com/2018/07/19/manchester-city-to-sell-raheem-sterling-if-he-continues-to-stall-on-new-contract-reports/

Of course you’ve always got to take these things with a pinch of salt, but somehow this story seems plausible to me. I’m a massive Sterling fan & last season’s stats speak for themselves. I know that some of have never rated him so won’t be that fussed. The Mahrez purchase has definitely strengthened the clubs hand & we could easily afford to let him go without buying an immediate replacement. I think Sterling himself is being poorly advised though, no club in England bar possibly United would pay him that kind of salary. If he wants to go abroad fair enough, but again I wonder what really top club is short of a fast winger & is willing to pay top dollar for him. No matter how he leaves I won’t boo him though just feel sorry that he’s risking wasting his talent like this.

Unfortunately, this plays right into the hands of the dipper fans and gutter press that have been on his back since he left the dippers for City calling him a greedy money grabber.
City fans and others denied this and defended him by saying that he was moving because he wanted to be at a club where he could actually win trophies, which he has done.
If he now does the same to us after winning trophies then his reputation and the booing is only going to get worse.

Suspect he was waiting to see how his World Cup panned out
If he’d raised his stock by being a world beater then he could’ve been looking at a significant pay rise from city or any number of suitors 
As it is I doubt they are banging down the door

Cheeky swap for Kylian Mbappe plus cash anyone?

Gutted.

He got from us what he couldn't get from pool (winners medals) He now needs a champions league medal so let him move. If he feels we can't give him that then so be it. If he feels he can't win the champs league under pep then that's his choice. We should be able to command a really good fee for him so win win as far as I can see.

I suspect Velma will never find the composure needed to take that next step up but I’d rather he stayed at City,his pace causes all sorts of problems

Why, is he doing something wrong? 

I agree Rich...after last season, clearly it strengthened his hand and the WC would have put him in the driving seat. However, I don't think there is anything wrong with trying to get the best deal for yourself. we'd all do the same thing. 
The agents will be giving little bits of info to the press, so will the club.

He's not a Manc...he doesn't have any 'local' affinity for the club as he's only been with us a few years.

I hope he does sign and isn't sold, because as Rich said, he causes nightmares for defenders.

Impressive stats aside. What a lot people miss is how his pace and movement pulls the opposition out of shape & allows opportunities for others. I hope he stays, but at the same time I don’t want any players at the club who don’t want to be here.

I agree SB, his movement causes hell for defenders.

However, I'm not sure it's as simplistic to say "I don't want any player at the club who doesn't want to be there"....

Imagine you have a job that you are really good at. Someone in your office is getting 40% more than you are. Now you really like your job and you really like the people you work for and the company - but you think you deserve to be paid the same or close to the same as they are being paid.
Your boss says to you - "tough, I'm assuming you obviously don't want to work for this company if you won't accept the 10% pay rise we offered you".....how would you respond?

I'm using the % as an example.

I honestly believe he loves playing for City, playing with the players around him. He had an absolutely brilliant season last season and rightly deserves an improved deal. Whether we think the money they get paid today is bonkers or not...it doesn't mean to say he doesn't want to play for City - he just wants what he feels he deserves - and the club will have to make a decision on whether they think 'he' is worth it to the club.

Let's face it - clubs show rare amounts of loyalty to players and if they want the player out for financial reasons, it's very hard for a player to say "no" as he'll get benched - even though he loves working for the club.

He'll not get as good a deal anywhere else imo unless there's no transfer fee involved (he runs down his contract and gets a fat signing on bonus).

The buying club are saving £80M on a transfer fee and could easily pay a £20M signing win bonus and wages of £400k pw (when he might only be worth £250k pw max) because the extra £8M or so it costs them each year for a 5yr contract is about £40M in total. 

They are actually better off having not paid £80M for a transfer fee and shelling out £60M in signing in fee and wages more than what would be normal. And they've probably spread the cost over 5 years rather than 2-3 years on a normal transfer payment scheme.

if he wants out let him go. I have always been a supporter of his but I honestly feel that it is not beneficial keeping a player who wants to leave. If City do not feel he is worth what he feels he should be paid so be it, they, at the end of the day when all said and done are his employers.

If City feel there are better players or players of the same ability out there who we can purchase or even bring through the academy which will not weaken us then I am all for moving Raheem on. We would still be able to command a decent fee for Raheem whilst he still has 2 years on his contract.