City could attempt to use Edin Dzeko in a move for Raheem Sterling this summer, according to reports from the Sunday People. The Bosnian striker was rumoured to be a target for Liverpool this summer, and if City were able to use him as a makeweight in a deal for a reported target of their own (Sterling) it would reduce the price for a player who would carry a hefty price-tag otherwise.
The deal would also reportedly include an agreement between City and Liverpool which would mean City no longer attempt to keep James Milner past this summer, allowing the former Aston Villa midfielder to make the move to Anfield which has been reported for several months now.
On his own, Sterling is expected to cost around £50 million, a fee which would be off-putting to many given his age. However, with Dzeko reportedly valued at £15 million the cash fee could be heavily slashed and City would still get their man. Dzeko is allegedly seen as a replacement for Mario Balotelli and Rickie Lambert by Brendan Rodgers, and using him in the swap deal would mean The Reds don’t then need to go out and buy a striker in a separate deal.
London clubs are still thought to be Sterling’s preferred destination, but with City supposedly willing to make the youngster one of their highest-paid players, he could forget his ambitions to move back to the capital and say in the north-west.
