Welcome to the summer silly season! All the talk lately, when it comes to Manchester City and their summer transfer window, has involved Jack Grealish and/or Harry Kane. That’s understandable, as those two players are galacticos and acquiring them would be blockbuster.
However, in this edition we’re going to dive right in with the latest City transfer news and two other English internationals, who also play for Premier League clubs, making this an all domestic edition of transfer talk. Let’s start off with Raheem Sterling, who was offered as part of a swap deal to Tottenham, in the attempt to acquire Kane.
Sterling doesn’t want to go to Spurs, and who can blame him given the state of their managerial search, and the concept of The Etihad finding him potentially expendable as reportedly rubbed him in the wrong way. That’s according to the Sunday Mirror, who report that Sterling may look to leave the club now.
He’s got two years left on his deal, and Real Madrid are said to be keen on the ex-Liverpool forward. Elsewhere, Chelsea right back Reece James is wanted by City, according to The Athletic.
He has four years left on his current contract with the west London club, as he just signed an extension this past January. This means, in theory, he would likely command a substantial fee in the market.
Of course, it’s still difficult to determine where he might fit in at City.
There is no clear first team position for James at the Etihad, but his versatility and ability to play multiple positions means that he could probably a find a place somewhere.
Pep Guardiola is very creative, with his team of what is essentially mostly midfielders, so James could slot in several different areas.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune.
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