Details on who wants Raheem Sterling and who Liverpool would be most content to sell the England winger to this summer…
SEE ALSO:
Manchester United clearout: Six players who are surely leaving, including ex-Arsenal star
Arsenal clearout: Eight Gunners stars set for summer transfers, including Liverpool targets
Liverpool transfer news
There are at least five big teams chasing Reds starlet Raheem Sterling this summer and it seems pretty clear the 20-year-old wants out of Anfield after repeatedly rejecting new big-money contract offers at the club.
Still, it is hard to predict where Sterling will end up with so many speculative transfer stories on the issue almost every day, so here’s an attempt to clear up the saga with latest information on the player’s future.
Read on as we rank the teams who could get Sterling by their chances of persuading Liverpool to sell from least to most…
5) Manchester United
No chance is this going to happen – Liverpool are aware of Manchester United’s interest but absolutely insist they will not sell one of their best players to their biggest rivals in the Premier League. Sterling himself is believed to be keen on working under Louis van Gaal, but if this happens he will have to wait until his contract runs down so he can move to Old Trafford on a free.
4) Arsenal
Arsenal are perhaps next on the ranking, though they may stand significantly more chance than United of signing the Reds youngster. Sterling is believed to be keen on moving to London, where he started his career with Queens Park Rangers, but the issue is whether or not the Gunners can afford him, and whether or not they even need another attacking midfielder or winger.
3) Chelsea
With a move to London on Sterling’s agenda, Chelsea are next up on the list and have all the money they need to afford the England man. If anything’s working against the Blues it is the lack of a clear statement of intent from the club that they want to enter the bidding for him, with other clubs seemingly making more direct approaches for the player so far this summer.
2) Manchester City
With offers already on the table, Manchester City are surely in a good position to sign Sterling based on current information, with a £30m bid already rejected by Liverpool, but a £50m one possibly being lined up imminently. City need more homegrown players in their squad and could also do with more options in attack this summer after losing James Milner and after poor performances from players like Jesus Navas and Samir Nasri. There is less of a strong history of rivalry between Liverpool and City, meaning they are less reluctant to see Sterling move to the Etihad Stadium.
1) Real Madrid
Finally, Liverpool’s preferre destination for Sterling would be Real Madrid. The Spanish giants are among the attacker’s main admirers this summer, and could move for him depending on what happens with players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema. It is unclear if the 20-year-old would favour a move abroad, but Rafael Benitez has expressed an interest and has the financial backing to make this move happen. Other foreign clubs like Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain seem to be out of the running at the moment, so with Liverpool keen to sell Sterling abroad, the Bernabeu seems most likely.
Source: Daily Mail.