Raheem Sterling is being linked with a move to Chelsea this summer amid reports of a Manchester City exit.
The England international is said to be considering a switch to secure a regular starting spot. The attacker was named in the line-up in 23 of City 's Premier League games last season, down five from the previous campaign and seven from the 2019/20 season.
Sterling started just five of City’s 12 Champions League games this term and failed to come off the bench in seven matches across all competitions. It’s led to reports suggesting that the 27-year-old could be headed to Stamford Bridge this summer.
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Former City midfielder Steve McManaman said a Chelsea transfer would be a positive one for the winger. He used the 2020 exit of Leroy Sane as an example of how City would still be able to cope without Sterling in their ranks.
Speaking to Horseracing.net, he said: “I think it’ll (Chelsea) be a good move for Raheem because he’s an excellent player. There is the fact that you’re letting one of your players go to a title rival, but Pep Guardiola might be happy for him to do that because he knows he’s going to keep Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez and Jack Grealish.
“Pep let Leroy Sane leave a couple of years ago and we all thought he was a really good player. They still continued to go on and win the league.
“You just have to trust Pep and what he wants to do, and what the player wants. If the player wants to play more games and tells the manager they want to leave, then that’s football now.”
McManaman outlined why City letting one of their players leave for Chelsea - a trophy rival - would not be an unwise move given the circumstances. He added: “Manchester City are the favourites for all the trophies next year. Chelsea are not.
“Chelsea have lost players and I’d say the players at Manchester City have got a better chance of being successful.
"There are too many question marks around Chelsea at the moment regarding the takeover; which players are leaving, a number of their hierarchy leaving, which players are going to come in and how large a transfer budget they’ve got.”
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