Good post. This whole "leak" doesn't hang together at all. I cannot see City making a bid like that either, "offering" players like that. For a start there is no way that any of those players would fancy Spurs. Also, why would City show their hand like that?
Exactly. Romano isn't smart, but then yesterday showed up others for being equally complicit in giving his 2+2 erroneous Tweet the mileage he craved for it.
Sky doesn't care, that's the truth of it, they simply add undeserved legitimacy from an outlet that, without screening games, would have zero football insight.
We can certainly speculate, as has already been done in the wider media and on here. The likes of Sterling, Laporte and Jesus, all have big personal decisions to make, simply based on their desired playing time, the contractual rundown, as in Raheem's case.
However, Romano's stuff can easily be dismissed as a flyer and nothing more.
The three players he insisted were being offered as makeweights have not been spoken to by City regarding their futures, having joined up with their national teams immediately after the Champions League final.
City certainly aren't offering players up to Spurs when, as you say, the likelihood is those three would not even entertain such a step down, without establishing first if they even want to leave this summer.
That's amateur hour - you can't offer something you don't know you have - and it's not how any club works - never mind one such as City.
Why would Sterling, who already earns £300k a week (£60k a week more than Spurs' highest earner Kane) suddenly indicate to City it would be cool for us to introduce his name into our offer?
Forget the fact Spurs are shit, haven't won a trophy for 13 years (a League Cup), don't have a manager, are in the Europa League Conference next season...
Spurs can't afford to pay Sterling what he earns now and they are trying to manage debts, not add to their outgoings.
Sterling can sit tight for another two years on £300k a week and still collect trophies at City if he so wishes.