Liverpool Transfer News: Brendan Rodgers Reacts to Raheem Sterling Madrid Talk

Brendan Rodgers remains calm over rumours linking Raheem Sterling with a move to Real Madrid, saying the Liverpool starlet could represent "every" club in the world on current form.

Rodgers considered the England international's future during his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday's Merseyside derby, per Neil Jones of the Liverpool Echo:

Growing rumours suggest Madrid are interested in the flying winger, as reported by Paul Doyle of The Guardian, highlighting Sterling's rapid rise to success over the past two years.

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Rodgers will call on the youngster when the Toffees visit Anfield, even after he posted an energetic 120 minutes against Middlesbrough on Tuesday, as reported by James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo:

Sterling has scored three goals in five Premier League appearances this season, per WhoScored.com, and he is likely to be a key figure in the Reds' attempts to further dismantle Roberto Martinez's struggling side. Everton head across the city with just one win this season and on the back of suffering a heavy 3-0 loss to Swansea City in their midweek Capital One Cup tie.

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Rodgers' team are also struggling for consistency and have already racked up three defeats this campaign. The two sides are currently separated by a single point, but Rodgers knows his transitional squad needs time to bed in, per Jones:

Daniel Sturridge's absence has been key to Liverpool's lack of attacking tempo, but Rodgers believes the former Chelsea man could have some part to play during Everton's visit, per Pearce of the Liverpool Echo:

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New signing Mario Balotelli has filled in as the main forward during Sturridge's recovery from injury, but he is yet to impress after netting once in five games. Rodgers insists the Italian cannot be compared to former star Luis Suarez, who netted 31 Premier League goals last year before moving to Barcelona. Jones reported Rodgers' quotes:

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The Liverpool boss took a little time to discuss what he expects from the upcoming derby, as reported by Jones and Pearce:

Liverpool thrashed their visitors 4-0 in last season's corresponding fixture, with goals from Sturridge (2), Suarez and Steven Gerrard easing Rodgers' men to victory. Gerrard's leadership will influence the game once more, but Sterling's performance is most likely to dictate the result.

Should the exciting player turn on the afterburners and run Everton ragged, Rodgers' need to bat away transfer speculation will intensify. Sterling appears unaffected by rising expectations and has the bottle to put Martinez's side to the sword, even if prying eyes watch from afar.