Manchester City and Raheem Sterling have reportedly stalled on negotiations over a new contract according to The Guardian, with the English forward demanding in excess of £220,000 a week to extend his stay at the Etihad beyond 2020.
Sterling’s current contract is thought to be worth in the region of £170,000 a week, but after scoring 23 goals in a record-breaking season for the Citizens in 2017/18, the forward and his agent, Aidy Ward, are ramping up the pressure on City’s hierarchy to reward one of their most promising players with a sizeable pay-rise.
Sterling joined City from Liverpool in 2015 for a fee of £44m and has gone on to become a mainstay in Guardiola’s side, developing a clinical cutting edge that had previously been lacking from his game.
In the last three seasons, Sterling has scored 31 Premier League goals and registered 34 assists, whilst developing his trademark in City’s record-breaking season for scoring crucial last-minute goals, including memorable strikes against Bournemouth and Southampton.
Alongside his agent Ward, Sterling will be keen for his contract renewal to represent the improvements he has made, with the pressure unquestionably on City to wrap up a mutually satisfying deal as the 18-month mark approaches on the remainder of Sterling’s current contract.
