Manchester City Transfer News: Raheem Sterling Talks Arsenal Rumours

Manchester City star Raheem Sterling has said the prospect of joining Arsenal in the summer never crossed his mind.

According to a report from John Cross of the Daily Mirror, City were ready to include Sterling as part of a package to sign Alexis Sanchez from the Emirates Stadium. However, the deal failed to materialise late in the window, with both men staying at their current clubs.

Speaking about the links, the England international stated he wasn't sure quite how serious the transfer speculation was, per The Independent:

"I didn't have any negative thoughts or anything about it, I just woke up one day with England and didn't believe a word of it, and I wouldn't have until I spoke to the manager." 

"It wasn't something that I was worried about because Pep [Guardiola] is an honest guy and he would've spoken to me before that [if City wanted to sell me], so I didn't need to worry about it and I didn't think about it for one minute."

Guardiola also made it clear recently that there was no intention on City's part to cash in on the former Liverpool man.

"Raz is staying here," the manager said, per James Robson of the Manchester Evening News. "The club trust him—that is why we have invested a lot of money in him."

Sterling has certainly been an asset to Guardiola and City this season. As noted by journalist Kristof Terreur, he's been part of a sensational attacking setup in 2017-18:

Indeed, with Bernardo Silva coming in and Leroy Sane finishing the previous campaign in such blistering form, plenty expected Sterling to be pushed to the fringes at City. But he's been crucial to the team this season and made major strides under his coach.

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Sterling's work rate has impressed, while he's been relentless in the way in which he takes on opponents. Additionally, the 22-year-old is finding himself in more dangerous positions on the pitch, something that's helped him improve his goalscoring record.

Some of the goals netted by Sterling have been vital, including a late leveller against Everton and a last-gasp winner against Bournemouth.

It's clear Guardiola believes the latter has been the catalyst for the forward's improvement, per David Mooney of ESPN FC:

As noted by Squawka Football, Sterling is really enjoying himself in front of the Etihad Stadium crowd:

Had he moved on in the summer, few would have been too surprised. After all, while impressive in bursts, Sterling has never been consistent enough to earn a regular spot in the City side—until this season at least.

It appears the youngster is at the start of a breakout season, and the work being done on the training pitch with Guardiola is beginning to shine through. At the moment, it's difficult to think of a better place for Sterling to be plying his trade.