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Raheem Sterling’s time at Manchester City could be coming to an end in the January window, amid some eyebrow-raising reports coming out of Spain.

The England winger has fallen down the pecking order under Pep Guardiola this season. Sterling has made just two starts in the Premier League this season, with Jack Grealish, Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez all in competition.

And while Sterling has featured off the bench on five occasions, his lack of regular football is said to be of concern to the 26-year-old.

As a result, Sport claims he is emerging as a serious option for Barcelona ahead of the January window.

Ronald Koeman’s side have looked devoid of quality so far this season and are currently down in ninth. And while injuries have certainly not helped their cause, the chance to sign Sterling would no doubt improve their options.

Barcelona, however, could only sanction the deal were City to agree to a loan-to-buy offer. With finances tight, signing him outright, may prove tough.

But if City were to allow Sterling to leave – even if on a short-term basis – it’s claimed they could at least meet his wage demands.

The report claims Barca will have just €16m to spend in the winter window. Wages though are ‘no longer an issue’ with previous top earners Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann departing over the summer.

Sterling though is on a package worth £300,000 a week at the Etihad, so there remains some scepticism over how they could finance the deal.

However, if they were to make a tempting offer, it’s stated Guardiola would not stand in the player’s way.

Furthermore, Sport claims Sterling has already said yes to the potential move. Reports state he’s frustrated by his situation at the Etihad and is ‘hell-bent’ on moving to the Nou Camp.

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Sterling admits he fancies LaLiga move

Sterling has previously admitted he would like to play in Spain before the end of his career.

Now into his 11th season in the Premier League, he has spoken how a chance to play in LaLiga interests him.

Speaking back in 2019, the 70-times capped England forward said: “Ever since I was a kid, 100 per cent it’s always been a dream of mine to play abroad somewhere. It would be nice one day to finish training and go home and sit in your garden and eat some dinner.”

Sterling added that he would ideally like to play in a warm climate “where it’s minimum 17C or 18C constantly”.

Asked further, he joked that he had ruled out playing in Germany because of the language barrier.

He said: “I hear Leroy (Sane) and Ilkay (Gundogan) talking and sometimes I think they’re having me on. I’m like, ‘You lot are not speaking to each other. That’s not a language I could do’.”

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