Manchester City Transfer News: Raheem Sterling Talks Future, La Liga Move

Manchester City star Raheem Sterling has revealed he would one day like to move abroad, citing Spain as an "attractive" destination, but he ruled out any of the London-based Premier League clubs.

Speaking to Joe Bernstein of the Mail on Sunday, the former Liverpool star emphasised he's happy at City right now but admitted a move could be in his future:

"I'm happy at Man City at the moment. But nobody knows what the future brings so one day, definitely, it would be nice to play abroad. It would be a great experience.

"Spain's attractive. Anywhere the weather is nice really! Can't be in London. I can't be near my friends. They got to stay down there."

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According to the report, contract negotiations between the 23-year-old and the Citizens are expected to get underway after the season. The Sun's Mike McGrath previously reported City want to make the England international the highest-paid player in the league.

Sterling is in the middle of the best season of his young career, scoring 13 goals already and becoming a critical player for the Citizens. Any talk of a move to Arsenal, which was suggested during the summer as the Citizens chased Alexis Sanchez, appears to be well in the past at this point.

The club shared some of his recent highlights via Twitter after he won their Player of the Month award:

Here's a look at some of his key stats:

His hot form has led to some transfer speculation involving the continent's top clubs, and John Cross of the Daily Mirror linked him with Real Madrid, reporting his desire not to open contract negotiations right now worked in their favour.

A transfer in the near future seems highly unlikely, however, as Sterling is thriving under manager Pep Guardiola and is still under contract for several years. At the age of 23, he has plenty to prove still in England and can only benefit from more time in a familiar environment before embarking on a foreign adventure.

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The lure of clubs like Real can be difficult to pass up, however. City can compete with Los Blancos on a financial level but lack the pedigree of the La Liga giants and have yet to take the next step in Europe, while Real are winners of back-to-back UEFA Champions League campaigns.

City fans won't be too worried about their star winger, who is likely to stay at the Etihad for years to come before trying his luck beyond the border.