Grealish in, Sterling out? Three possible destinations for Man City star

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 5 Aug 2021 09:30 BST
• 5 min read

Raheem Sterling is heading into the 2021/22 season in perhaps his best form for the past 18 months.

After a poor back-end of last season, by his own high standards, the English winger exploded at the European Championship, and while he didn't excel in build-up, he contributed in far more important ways for the Three Lions.

The man who had displaced him at club level, Phil Foden, suffered a few niggles and a potential suspension, which allowed Sterling to take centre stage.

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Another talent who Sterling started ahead of was Jack Grealish, and the Aston Villa captain now looks set to join Manchester City this summer.

Of course, under Gareth Southgate, Sterling was preferred to Grealish, with tournament experience no doubt playing on his mind, but under Pep Guardiola, that could be a different story.

Some reports have suggested that Grealish will be utilised as a free No.8, directing playing in the role David Silva mastered under Guardiola, but many had assumed the silky playmaker would play off the left, like he's done so regularly for Villa.

If Guardiola does opt to start Grealish on the left, in a bid for more defensive solidity by playing Ilkay Gundogan alongside Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne, then Sterling could be the man to make way.

He was dropped for a large chunk of the final few Premier League games and hasn't really played on the right for Man City since Leroy Sane's departure.

That suggests it'll either be Sterling or Grealish on the left, and City aren't spending €117 million (£100m) to sit Grealish on the bench.

But where could Sterling go?

Real Madrid

Bringing it back to a rumour from a few years ago, Real Madrid could reignite their interest in Sterling in the remainder of the window.

Not only do they need wide talent, with Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo, Eden Hazard and Marco Asensio all not impressing last year, but they will soon have an influx of cash.

That's because La Liga has agreed a €2.7bn deal with private equity firm CVC, which will see Spanish clubs rewarded with some more cash. The clubs will receive 90% of that money from CVC, and hence Real Madrid will have more money to spend.

Sterling could be the one they decide to spend that money on, and after scoring more goals in all competitions last season than Rodrygo, Hazard and Vinicius combined, despite having a down year, Sterling would be an upgrade on Carlo Ancelotti's current options.

However, the likelihood is that Los Blancos will opt to go all guns blazing in their pursuit of Kylian Mbappe, rather than go for Sterling.

Either way, Real Madrid need wingers, and City might need to offload one, so this move could make sense.

Bayern Munich

Much like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich also need reinforcements out wide. Kingsley Coman may have enjoyed a productive 2020/21, with eight goals and 13 assists in all competitions, but neither Sane or Serge Gnabry had particularly great campaigns.

Gnabry certainly dipped from his peak performances the year before, while Sane showed flashes of brilliance amidst an average campaign.

Furthermore, Coman is still injury prone, and with just those three as credible options out wide for Julian Nagelsmann, he could do with some added talent.

Sterling could fill that hole. He may not be first choice immediately, but he would be an excellent alternative to Coman for the new Bayern boss, and with the Frenchman's form so inconsistent, Sterling could well find himself starting regularly.

In addition to that, Sterling's tendency to arrive late at the back post to score a tap-in has become somewhat of his trademark, and with Thomas Muller, Joshua Kimmich and Alphonso Davies around him, he'd likely bag plenty.

This move would be a great one, although Bayern may not be able to afford him.

Paris Saint-Germain

If the aforementioned Real Madrid are successful in their pursuit of Mbappe, then they could swoop for Sterling. Although not a like-for-like replacement, the Englishman could more than make up for some of Mbappe's quality, and in Ligue 1, Sterling could thrive.

Of course, it would depend whether PSG opt for a striker or a winger as Mbappe's replacement if he leaves, but with Neymar's perennial injury issues, a left-winger wouldn't be the worst shout for what Mauricio Pochettino's side needs.

Furthermore, he'd most likely play. Angel Di Maria is now 33, and yet still played nearly 3,000 minutes last season, meaning opportunities will surely open up as his body declines.

Again, it's a move that is unlikely to happen, but it could be shrewd business by PSG.

Most likely option: he won't leave

Even with Grealish's arrival, it's hard to see Sterling leaving. Bernardo Silva is the more likely candidate for a City attacker to depart the Etihad, and with Sterling offering something different than Riyad Mahrez, Foden, Grealish and B.Silva, in the fact that he runs in behind, Guardiola will surely be keen to keep hold of him.

He's settled at the club, with a family, and a move abroad or somewhere else in England doesn't seem likely at this time.