Arsenal continue to be linked with Manchester City star Raheem Sterling, but new claims suggest that Tottenham Hotspur actually lead the race.
Sterling, 27, has only started 22 of City’s Premier League games this season whilst coming off the bench six times.
12 goals and three assists is a strong return for Sterling given his minutes but his future at the Etihad Stadium is unclear.
The England international is out of contract in 2023 and there is currently no sign of a new agreement.
Erling Haaland is joining City this summer, which may change City’s attack. For instance, that may mean that Gabriel Jesus plays out wide more regularly, impacting Sterling’s minutes.
Earlier this week, The Telegraph reported that Arsenal are ready to explore a deal to sign Sterling.
Sterling knows Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta from his time as a coach at City and a reunion would make some sense.
There could be a shock twist in the tale though as it’s now being claimed that Tottenham are leading the race for Sterling.
CBS Sports reported Ben Jacobs has told The Gooner Talk that Tottenham are ‘ahead of Arsenal’ as they plot a move for Sterling.
Jacobs even claims that Sterling is intent on playing for Tottenham boss Antonio Conte despite his relationship with Arteta.
Tottenham are, according to Jacobs, offering Sterling a key role to get him scoring goals again which Arsenal just aren’t offering.
“Sterling is an interesting one, because I do think that the door is open for Sterling to leave Manchester City,” said Jacobs. “I think there will be almost a North London derby-style pursuit for Sterling and, from what I gather, should he leave Manchester City, Tottenham are ahead of Arsenal in that particular pursuit.”
“So if Sterling is to join Arsenal, then Edu and Arteta are going to have to move quite quickly, but I think that Sterling is very intent – even though he will know Arteta very well – to play under Conte as his next manager if he is to make a move.”
“The reason for that is because Tottenham have given him guarantees about style and about position. I think that Tottenham’s pitch is around ‘let’s get you back to doing what you do best’, which is scoring goals, and I think Arsenal’s pitch is going to be ‘let’s get you back to what you did at the beginning of your career,” which is being a very fluid, very versatile wide player that cuts inside,” he added.
This would be quite the move from Tottenham but it feels a little hard to imagine.
Sterling allegedly rejected the idea of joining Tottenham in a swap deal for Harry Kane last summer.
Would all that much have changed a year on? Tottenham have a major selling point in Conte but, as things stand, they won’t have Champions League football.
The wages Sterling would command would also be a problem with the London Evening Standard claiming that he earns around £300,000-a-week.
Tottenham surely wouldn’t pay that kind of money, especially with no Champions League action.
Add in that Tottenham have a settled front three in Dejan Kulusevski, Son Heung-min and Harry Kane and it’s just hard to see a deal for Sterling.
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