Report – 26-year-old England international ‘crazy’ to sign for Barcelona

With the January transfer window still a couple of months away, speculations have already started doing the rounds as clubs look to bolster their squads to achieve their season objectives.

Barcelona, after a rancid start to the season, will be in the market for reinforcements, provided their wage bill stays within the La Liga Financial Fair Play stipulations. And one player that seems to be emerging as a serious target for the Catalans is Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling.

The 26-year-old has been a key member of the success that the reigning Premier League champions have enjoyed over the past half-a-decade. However, in recent months, Sterling has fallen down the pecking order under Pep Guardiola, with the likes of Phil Foden and Jack Grealish being favoured over him.

This has left Sterling in a limbo heading into the January transfer window, and Barcelona are alert to the situation. As per Catalan publication SPORT, the Catalans had been keen on signing the ex-Liverpool winger in the summer and talks were even held when director Mateu Alemany had travelled to Manchester to negotiate a move for Edinson Cavani.

However, Manchester City’s failure to secure a move for a top striker scuppered Barca’s chances of signing Sterling. But, given how the situation has evolved, the Englishman is back on the agenda for the club, while the player himself is reciprocating the interest.

Indeed, as per the report, Sterling is said to be intent on leaving the Etihad and is ‘crazy’ about securing a transfer to Barcelona. The 26-year-old believes that he would be given a prominent role at Camp Nou considering the Catalans’ struggles in attack early into the new season.

Barcelona and Sterling’s camp have maintained contact to engineer a switch in January. There is a belief that his wages, despite being on the higher side, can be afforded. A loan move is considered the best-case scenario for all parties involved.

A move, however, will hinge on Manchester City’s willingness to do a deal as well as Barcelona’s own situation with regard to their form and results.