Radio Presenter Accuses Arsenal Boss of 'Tapping Up' Raheem Sterling Following Summer Speculation

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has been accused of "tapping up" Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling following the Gunners interest in signing the player this summer.

The north London side were linked with a move for the England international as potentially part of a cash-plus-player swap deal for want-away Alexis Sanchez. The move never came to fruition, but still speculation linking the French manager and the electric Citizens wide man is rife - despite the transfer window closing over three weeks ago. 

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This has left talkSPORT presenter Alan Brazil less than impressed with the 67-year-old's actions, and the former Scotland international striker believes it is inappropriate for the rumours to be surfacing whilst a deal cannot take place.

"Is that not tapping up?", the well-respected 58-year-old radio pundit said, as reported by the Manchester Evening News. "The window’s shut now so we shouldn’t be talking about this until January, should we? And Arsene Wenger’s always winging about tapping up.

“You know it’s illegal, it’s a joke. You should just get on with it. If you’re Sterling, how do you feel if you’re Sterling?”

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When asked about the potential of Sterling swapping the Etihad Stadium for the Emirates Stadium earlier this month, City boss Pep Guardiola quickly denied that there was any chance that a move could have taken place.

"[Sterling] didn't call me because it wasn't an issue. Never", the 46-year-old former Barcelona boss said. "I think I tried to help him since I arrived, his mood when I arrived was not at the top and last season he played really good.

"It was not debatable among the important people at the club - Txiki, Ferran, many people - it was never considered that we would swap him. That was not an option."

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The 22-year-old tricky winger has had a bright start to this campaign, netting three goals in four games - with two of those appearances from the substitutes bench and has shown no signs of being affected by the continuous speculation so far.