Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has reportedly given the go-ahead for the club to try to tie Raheem Sterling down to a new deal.
The 27-year-old faces an uncertain future at the Etihad with his deal due to expire in 2023, and he was linked with a move to Barcelona amid his struggles to earn regular starts at Man City.
However, Sterling has since become a regular fixture of Guardiola's first XI in the Premier League and has banked a total of 13 goals and five assists in 32 games across all tournaments this term, with 10 of those strikes coming in the league.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Guardiola is determined to keep Sterling on the books at the Etihad and has given the green light to a new deal for the former Liverpool man.
The report adds that Man City want to have a definitive answer soon given the date of Sterling's contract expiry, with the Citizens supposedly prepared to sell for no less than £50m this summer if he ultimately decides against penning a new deal.
Sterling now has 127 goals and 91 assists to his name from 324 matches in a Man City shirt and has won three Premier League titles, five EFL Cups and one FA Cup since arriving in 2015.
Ben Knapton
