On November 14th, Beijing, an explosive news came out from the Mirror: despite Manchester City's lukewarm attitude towards Sterling's departure, La Liga giants Barcelona are keen on the English star and intend to take him under their wing as soon as possible.
Sterling is now the prey of several teams, and it all stems from his less-than-stellar performances at Manchester City. The 26-year-old shone at Euro 2020 and was a key contributor to England's win, however, upon his return to City, he has only started in three Premier League matches.
Just at the beginning of the month, Barcelona had made it clear that they believed they could afford to buy or swap the England star for a relatively reasonable price, given that Sterling has just the final 18 months left on his contract at the Etihad.
Barcelona president Laporta is rumored to have said outright in front of more than 60 journalists that the Catalan side are actively seeking to strike a deal with Manchester City.
However, they may have to be disappointed. According to the Manchester Evening News, Manchester City executives are adamant that Sterling will not move away from the team this year, which undoubtedly puts the possibility of Barcelona snapping up the team in the winter window out of the question.
Despite City not taking full advantage of Sterling, the English media still believe that Guardiola wants to keep the English winger in his squad, expecting him to revitalize the team in the race for a place.
Manchester City's history is littered with players who have risen from the fringes of the bench to make a comeback, and Bernardo Silva is a perfect example. Last summer, it was widely believed that the Portuguese star would leave City, but now he has become an indispensable mainstay of the team.
The club are confident in Sterling's future and think his situation could follow a similar pattern.
However, another fact that cannot be ignored is that Barcelona will find it difficult to afford Sterling's fee even if things change.
Barcelona's financial problems have been the focus of the global soccer media all summer, and even in the new season, when they finally lost their soulmate Lionel Messi.
Although Barcelona have taken various measures to try to cut spending and maintain the club's finances, they are still not in a position to provide enough money for Sterling's transfer. Metro reports that Sterling's current transfer value is around 45 million pounds, a figure that is too expensive for Barcelona.
Interestingly, although Sterling has not ruled out a move in the future, he has agreed to stay at City for longer as his appearances have not deterred him from playing for England. Three Lions boss Southgate then issued a 'warning', claiming that Sterling's place in the England squad is not irreplaceable, despite his performance at the Euros.
