On Wednesday afternoon, Raheem Sterling confirmed the news that everyone knew was coming: after seven years at Manchester City, his time at the Etihad Stadium has come to an end.
The football headlines over the past few weeks have centred around the future of the 27-year-old England star, who with just a year remaining on his City contract had not renewed his terms. Last week multiple reports claimed that Sterling had agreed personal terms with Chelsea, before the news emerged this week that City and the London club had indeed to a £47.5 deal for the winger.
On Wednesday, Sterling confirmed his departure before Chelsea could announce the signing themselves. It's done.
READ MORE: Raheem Sterling confirms Man City exit ahead of Chelsea transfer
There are multiple reasons why Sterling decided not to sign a new contract at City and instead seek pastures new. A desire for more guaranteed minutes was central to his desire to leave — nobody is guaranteed starts in Pep Guardiola's City team — and over the past couple of seasons Sterling's inconsistent form has seen him, more often than not, miss out on selection for the biggest games.
There have been rumours of fallings out with Guardiola and the hunger for a new challenge, but regardless of the reasons why, Sterling has handled his exit in a typically classy and dignified manner. Breaking his departure to City fans on his own personal social media channels, before Chelsea could go full steam ahead with their own announcement, showed the respect Sterling holds for City and their supporters.
What's perhaps most telling about his letter, though, was the part where he thanks those who have helped him on his City journey.
"To the coaching staff who have played a massive role in my development over the years. To my teammates who have become more than just those I share a pitch with, to the backroom staff, to the office staff, to the fans who have tirelessly supported the team and to everyone involved with Manchester City, my respect for you couldn't be greater."
Sterling's kind words are typical of how he has conducted himself while at City, but there also give a clear insight as to why so many players are desperate to join City and, in some cases, make sacrifices.
Sterling is certainly right to thank City's coaching staff — even if he doesn't mention Guardiola directly — for aiding his development. For top players, City have become THE place to go if they want to develop and become even better.
Of course the promise of winning silverware is a huge draw, but the chance to improve and develop under Guardiola is something that persuaded the likes of Kalvin Phillips and Stefan Ortega to join this summer, and the likes of Rodri and Jack Grealish in previous summers.
In the cases of Phillips and Ortega, that opportunity was so great that they were willing to sacrifice guaranteed playing time in order to move to the Etihad.
City are hoping to make Marc Cucurella their fifth signing of the summer, and it's believed that if the Spaniard decides to leave Brighton, then he only wants to join City. Given that he is a product of Barcelona's academy, it's not surprising he wants to learn from Mr. Barcelona himself.
Sterling also hinted at the relationship he had with his teammates off the pitch. No player wants to join a team with a fractured or hostile dressing room, making the environment City have created extremely appealing.
City supporters are an appealing factor too. Unlike some fanbases, match-goers at the Etihad are always 100 per cent behind their team, even on bad days and during poor performances. As Sterling mentions in his letter, he endured his fair share of tough moments while at the club, but City's fans were always on his side. Unconditional support is important to a lot of players.
It is, of course, sad to be losing such a uniquely talented player, but City fans should be proud of themselves and the club for creating an environment that top players are desperate to be a part of.
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