The Raheem Sterling saga finally ended on the 14th of July when the English forward joined Manchester City for an up-front fee of £44million pounds plus £5million in add-ons. This particular transfer made sense for all parties involved, City get a young homegrown player that improves their squad, Sterling furthers his career by going to a club that is more likely to win major honours and Liverpool get a hefty fee which can be used to improve their squad.

Sterling will more than likely be a direct replacement for Jesús Navas on City's right wing. Raheem has played on the right flank for the majority of his short career with the Reds but the 20-year-old is also very versatile. He played in several different roles for Brendan Rodgers' men last season, most notably on the left wing, as an attacking midfielder as well as playing in a lone striking position. This versatility is a great asset to have, him being able play anywhere across the front line is a major benefit for City in case of an injury crisis similar to when James Milner was forced to play as a striker in the Christmas period as Edin Džeko, Stevan Jovetić and Sergio Agüero were all out injured. 

Comparing by stats

Sterling in comparison to David Silva, Samir Nasri and Jesús Navas last term:

Sterling - 35 apps, seven goals, seven assists and 103 dribbles completed.

Silva - 32 apps, 12 goals, seven assists and 51 dribbles completed.

Nasri - 24 apps, two goals, six assists and 27 dribbles completed.

Navas - 35 apps, no goals, eight assists and 37 dribbles completed.

Just from these stats it's clear that Sterling is far more direct than the rest of City's attacking midfielders/wingers. He's similar to Navas in the sense that they both have incredible speed but Sterling's end product and goal-scoring record gives him the edge over the 29-year-old Spanish winger, who has been heavily criticised for his inconsistent spells within the side at times.

What City's front 4 may look like this season:

  1. Nasri Silva Sterling                                 2. Silva Touré Sterling
            Agüero                                                         Agüero
           
3. Silva                     Nasri                4. Silva                    Sterling
       Agüero and Sterling                              Agüero and Bony      

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