Sky Sports pundit Kevin Campbell has insisted that Manchester City might end up having no choice but to sell Raheem Sterling to Premier League rivals Chelsea this summer.

The Lowdown: BBC update

The 27-year-old only has 12 months remaining on his deal at the Etihad and the winger’s future with Pep Guardiola’s side has been thrown up in the air after an update from the BBC’s Simon Stone, who claims that Thomas Tuchel’s Blues are interested in signing the England starlet this window.

This has further been backed up by Di Marzio, who reports that Chelsea are confident of being able to complete a cheaper deal for the forward due to his current contract situation.

The Latest: Campbell’s Sterling claim

Asked by Football Insider whether City would regret letting Sterling leave for another English club, Campbell said:

“The quality in their squad is so high.

“If they look to sell a player only the best teams, who are their rivals, can afford to buy them. They are the teams that will look to buy them. No other teams can afford these players wages.

“Once you embark on that route, there are positive and negatives. That is one of the negatives when you look at it.

“Let’s say Sterling went to Chelsea and got 20-25 goals… It wouldn’t look great. That could happen.

“It is a chance that Man City have to take after bringing in [Erling] Haaland. It is one of those things.”

The Verdict: Time to say goodbye

Sterling has been a fantastic long-term servant at City since joining from Liverpool all the way back in 2015, netting an outstanding 131 goals during his seven-year stay, but now feels like the right time for him to go.

The 77-cap international, who was once hailed a “world class” player by Everton boss Frank Lampard, has fallen down the pecking order under Pep Guardiola in recent times, with the likes of Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez perhaps set to be the first choices either side of Erling Haaland.

If the Kingston-born gem wants to increase his chances of making an impression on Gareth Southgate ahead of the World Cup later this year, then the best option for him would be to make the switch elsewhere and get regular game time under his belt.