Transfer Interest in Liverpool's Raheem Sterling Makes Sense for Real Madrid

Under president Florentino Perez, taking a long-term view in the transfer market hasn't typically been the way for Real Madrid. The acquisition of ready-made stars has formed the basis of the president's notoriety, not 19-year-old's such as Liverpool's Raheem Sterling. 

Last summer, Gareth Bale was the Premier League's finest when he was lured to the Bernabeu. Cristiano Ronaldo was the same four years earlier. James Rodriguez's arrival in July was preceded by a glittering World Cup campaign. Toni Kroos had already conquered everything with Bayern Munich and Germany before he landed. 

More than a decade ago, during Perez's first tenure, Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and David Beckham were all household names when they put pen to paper in the Spanish capital. More recently, both Xabi Alonso and Luka Modric were also established in the game's elite when they made the switch. 

Even the signings of younger talents such as Isco, Daniel Carvajal and Asier Illarramendi in 2013 were completed with more immediate needs in mind. 

There have been notable exceptions—Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane, for example—but under Perez, teenagers have typically been plucked from the club's Castilla ranks, not the transfer market. 

Liverpool's Sterling stands as another possible exception. 

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According to the Daily Mirror's John Cross, Real Madrid are preparing to move for the England international next summer, impressed by his sparkling displays for both club and country so far this season. 

Currently one of the lowest earners at Anfield at £30,000 per week, it's thought that luring Sterling to the Bernabeu could be made easier by Brendan Rodgers' insistence that the winger must be patient in his push for a new deal.

The Liverpool boss told the Daily Mirror's Simon Mullock: "When you reward young players too quickly—Raheem's still only 19—you give them too much too early and that will be their downfall. It's a big problem because they lose their hunger."

Rodgers' stance is in line with the approach that has made him a success on Merseyside, consistently playing down the importance of the individual and instilling a mentality based upon the collective. The 41-year-old, remember, wasn't shy in forcing Luis Suarez to train on his own after the Uruguayan had pushed for a move to Arsenal.

And while Sterling expressed admiration for Rodgers during an interview with BBC Sport's Natalie Pirks in March, one senses the Reds might find it challenging to satisfy the teenager's ambition. 

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Indeed, Sterling has made something of recent habit for giving little indicators of what he expects of himself.

Earlier this month, he spoke to the Daily Mirror's David Maddock (h/t Tom Maston of Goal.com) of Real Madrid's Ronaldo and how the Portuguese's excellence stands as a benchmark to strive for. In August, the Englishman explained his intention to mimic some of the methods used by Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, per Jon Bernstein of the Daily Mail. 

Based on what Rodgers told Tom Sheen of The Independent, Sterling already shares some similarities with the Barcelona maestro. 

When you listen to the teenager speak, there's a modest but unshakable conviction in his words. The way he expressed to Maddock of "going onto the next level" is a far cry from the cliches regularly trotted out by young players in front of the microphone. His belief that "it is only a matter of time before I get there" only serves to strengthen his obvious resolve. 

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For Real Madrid, Sterling would be a precocious and malleable talent—a future star bought with a long-term view, not to fill an immediate need. Questions on how he'd fit the system aren't relevant right now. 

An immediate difference maker he won't be, but the qualities are there: the blistering speed, the lightning feet, the natural eye for goal, the bubbling ambition and the comfort on the biggest stage. With two of the game's finest wingers in Ronaldo and Bale on hand to nurture his development, it's not inconceivable that Sterling could quickly rise into the game's upper echelon in the Spanish capital.

The learning curve, of course, would be steep for the Liverpool sensation. At the Bernabeu, it's the deep end that one is immediately pushed into. But at just 19 and already a leading identity for both his club and England, his capacity to thrive in such an environment is tantalising. 

Bale, too, has proved that British players can succeed away from the comforts of home.

The Welshman said the following in an interview with The Independent's Michael Calvin this month: "I think the most important thing is you feel it's the right move. If you feel you’re going to play, then I would encourage a British player to go abroad. I've enjoyed every minute of it, the new culture, the new life. I felt like I wanted to challenge myself. It's down to the player himself whether he can kick on."

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Sterling, with talent and self-belief to burn, has given the impression that such a challenge would excite the teenager rather than daunt him. 

"If you look at Raheem Sterling, I think he’s shown what a good player he is. He's starting to perform more consistently. If he keeps working hard and doing what he's doing then he's going to keep progressing and the sky is his limit," Bale went on to add. 

In football, the "sky" tends to mean Real Madrid or Barcelona. And with the Catalans consistently rolling out teenagers from the club's unrivalled youth academy, La Masia, Real Madrid shouldn't miss the chance to take a long-term view and invest in their own future with the capture of Sterling.