Exclusive - Manchester City have made it clear to Raheem Sterling that they will not stand in his way if he wants to leave the club, but they would rather he stayed and fought for his place.
Pep Guardiola is a huge fan of Sterling, but following Jack Grealish’s arrival in the summer the former Liverpool man has found playing time increasingly hard to come by, with Phil Foden, Gabriel Jesus and Bernardo Silva all seeing action ahead of him too.
Sterling has been limited to just two league starts, which has prompted the England star to admit that he is considering his options and reveal he would be willing to move abroad.
Talks had been ongoing over a fresh contract for the 26-year-old - who has just over 18 months left on his current deal - but they were halted prior to the European Championship and have yet to resume.
Barcelona had previously shown an interest in the summer, and a loan move to Catalonia in January with a view to a permanent deal is something that Sterling is believed to be keen on, and his representatives are pursuing that avenue.
