Raheem Sterling has firmly established himself as a key figure at Man City, and reports claim that he wants to be paid as such with a significant pay rise touted.
The 23-year-old has started the season well, scoring two goals in three Premier League games thus far to build on an impressive campaign last year in which he bagged 23 goals and 17 assists in 46 appearances.
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Pep Guardiola is seemingly getting the best out of the England international, and given his age, there is no doubt that he will be expected to continue to develop his game, improve further and become more of a talisman for City in their pursuit of trophies.
However, according to The Times, Sterling wants more money and is said to be asking for £275,000-a-week plus bonuses and image rights, which would mean a hefty £100,000-a-week pay rise on what he currently earns.
It’s added that talks between the two parties are expected imminently, and so it remains to be seen whether or not negotiations ultimately lead to an agreement on new terms to keep Sterling happy.
Given his prominent role in a side challenging for major honours, it seems unlikely that he will seek an exit. Nevertheless, City will surely want to avoid his contract and talks over his future becoming a distraction, and so it may well be in the best interests of all concerned to reach a new deal.
That is a major jump up in salary though, and so it remains to be seen to be seen if Sterling is forced to temper his expectations slightly while being rightly rewarded for his fine form over the last 12 months or so.
Should he get his desired deal though, the pressure will certainly be on him to justify his wage hike and prove that he’s worthy of the additional investment.