Raheem Sterling agrees on Barcelona move, Guardiola to make final decision | OneFootball

It has been less than a month since the summer transfer window closed, but it seems like Barcelona could be set for a big move in January.

As reported by SPORT, the Catalan giants have expressed an interest in signing Manchester City superstar Raheem Sterling in the winter window, with the player said to be open to a switch to Camp Nou.

Sterling is in his seventh season at Manchester City, having joined from Liverpool in the summer of 2015. After a slow start, the 26-year-old has grown into a pivotal member of the successful team that Pep Guardiola has built at the Etihad Stadium.

However, since the latter stages of the last season, Sterling’s standing within the squad has been decreasing. The same situation has been prevalent this campaign as well, with the England international having started just one of the Cityzens’ five matches in all competitions.

Indeed, Guardiola has preferred new signing Jack Grealish on the left-wing, while the likes of Riyad Mahrez, Gabriel Jesus have seemingly eked past Sterling in the pecking order. This has left the Englishman seeking an exit, with Barcelona emerging as a potential destination.

The Catalans had been linked with a move for the ex-Liverpool winger in the summer as well, with technical director Mateu Alemany travelling down to England to hold talks. A potential swap deal involving one of Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembele or Sergi Roberto was mooted while a loan move was also discussed, but nothing materialised.

However, despite the financial troubles, Barcelona have maintained an interest in Sterling, and now that the player himself is open to an exit and ready to move to Camp Nou. Because of his predicament in Manchester, a January move may very well be on the cards.

The ball now rests in Guardiola’s courts, the report states. If he decides to sanction a sale, it is claimed that Barcelona will be in a position to land Sterling, as there has been some room made for investments following the sales and salary reductions over the past month or so.