Contract talks with Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling have broken down, according to reports in the English media.
The 23-year-old is reportedly demanding a £50k a week wage increase on his £170,000 a week salary, but the two parties are reportedly quite far apart.
Fans on Twitter were not too impressed by Sterling’s demands:
@Sterling7 You are not bigger than our Club @ManCity
— Mark Guy (@MarkGuyOfficial) 18 September 2018
“He wants what he’s worth”. Very noble of him to take a pay cut. Fair play to the lad.
— Jamie Regan (@JamieRegan_) 18 September 2018
150k tops until he starts converting those easy chances. Hesitates too sometimes when he could just chip it etc. Also too cocky sometimes with the ball when a teammate is in a great scoring position. Fix those issues and then we can talk 200k plus earnings.
— Joonas?? ?⚽ (@Joonasmofficial) 17 September 2018
For me? Adios!! He’s 4getting who is making him a better player &has made him a better player than he was wen he 1st left lfc.He’s still doing his apprenticeship & learning. Wud an apprentice down tools & demand full wages b4f he was fully time served?? He’d get the boot for sure
— Barrie Crawford (@BarrieX) 17 September 2018
If he wants it make him work so set it to targets and trophies won etc! One excellent season doesn’t make him that pay bracket of player for that basic wage, maybe end of season and 2 excellent seasons he may be!
— Michael Thompson (@mickscreams2112) 17 September 2018
I genuinely think he wants out the country and we will have to sell him in the summer
— David (@dsheadhunter) 17 September 2018
I’ll keep saying it until I’m blue in the face for #Sterling to be the highest paid he needs to be like #Agueroooooooooo, top of goal scoring charts year in year out, like the 7 seasons he’s been at #City instead of Agents trying to hold a club to ransom after one good season
— Paul Leonard ? (@pdl2203) 17 September 2018
Last year he scored 23g in 46 compared to 21g in 94 from the previous 2yrs .. No one is doubting he’s good but his 3yrs doesn’t warrant him the clubs sole top earner.
That’s what @ManCity said last year when they put a structured wage salary which let you have bonus incentives— Paul Leonard ? (@pdl2203) 17 September 2018
Funny thing, other clubs will give him neither the wages he’s demanding, nor the exposure he deserves.
Both his agents and the club know this. The agents are only taking a chance.
— Regista (@aranyakpaul) 17 September 2018
not worth it
— seif (@shlekashishi) 17 September 2018
The wide man signed a five-year deal when he joined from Liverpool in 2015, but he will enter the final season of his contract at the end of the current campaign.
City won’t want Sterling to be vulnerable to a cut-price offer from another club next summer and will want a new deal to be finalised sooner rather than later.
It is believed that despite the impasse, the club are still confident that a new contract will be agreed after some patient negotiations. Manager Pep Guardiola is also a big fan of the player so a deal should be a top priority.
Sterling has started the season in good form with three goals from his first four matches, scoring in the 3-0 win over Fulham at the weekend on his return from a back injury.
