‘Raheem Sterling wages to be subsidised to seal Sunderland transfer’
Raheem Sterling’s career has stumbled over the last few years, and a move to Sunderland has been mooted.
Following the permanent acquisition of Enzo Le Fee, Sunderland are yet to make any further signings ahead of their return to the Premier League.
Several players have been linked with a move to the Stadium of Light, including Liverpool’s Joe Gomez, with plenty of work to be done.
Strengthening the attack will be a priority for the Black Cats, and Sterling may be a player who soon appears on their radar.
Sterling may have to settle for a newly promoted side
After such a successful few years at Liverpool and Manchester City, very few would have anticipated Sterling‘s career to nosedive quite like it has.
Since moving on from the Etihad, success has been hard to come by, with his Chelsea career failing to shine, and his loan move to Arsenal certainly not paying off.
All signs are again pointing towards an exit for Sterling this summer, but former Everton chief Keith Wyness thinks his next move could see him play for one of the three newly promoted sides, with Sunderland a potential destination.
| Arsenal | Games | Goals | Assists |
| Sterling | 28 | 1 | 5 |
Via the Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast (18 June), Wyness said: “I think it’s going to be a big problem to move him on. I think you’re really going to be restricted, in my opinion, to the three clubs coming up – Leeds, Burnley, and Sunderland. I think that’s where he might find a space.
“But again, the wages are going to have to be really heavily subsidised to get him any move at all.”
Sunderland will inevitably be looking to bring in players who have experience of playing in the Premier League, though a move for Sterling would make little sense given his recent form and astronomical wages.
Sunderland have no margin for error this summer
Long gone are the days when Sunderland lacked identity or planning, with the shift in focus under Kyril Louis-Dreyfus certainly paying off.
However, that will need to be replicated yet again this summer if the Black Cats are to have any chance of avoiding the drop.
With the Premier League fixtures now revealed, full attention will be on recruitment before pre-season gets underway on Wearside.
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