Real Madrid Transfer News: Fresh Raheem Sterling Rumours Outline Potential Terms

Real Madrid are a team always on the lookout for the most exciting young players in European football, so it is no surprise to see reports linking Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu.

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According to Steve Morgan of the Daily Star, the European champions will attempt to lure the 20-year-old to the Spanish capital by bidding £35 million for his services and doubling his current pay packet to £120,000 a week. The article also claims that with little chance of a deal being done in January, Los Blancos will wait until the summer to get their man.

However, that piece is at odds with a host of reports, including Ian Doyle of the Liverpool Echo, who suggests that Sterling will sign a new five-year deal at Anfield. After the news that Steven Gerrard is set to leave the Reds this summer, tying down the talisman-in-waiting is vital for the team.

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But as noted by Daniel Storey of Football365, a new deal doesn’t necessarily mean a prolonged stay, something Liverpool fans know all too well:

Morgan’s piece claims that Madrid’s hopes of signing Sterling have been given a boost by Gerrard’s impending departure, but surely the young forward will see this as an opportunity to emerge as Liverpool’s key man.

The proposed £100,000 a week the club are reportedly set to pay him, per Joe Bernstein of the Mail On Sunday, certainly suggests that Brendan Rodgers sees him fulfilling that role.

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Indeed, while it’s been a difficult season all in all for the Reds, Sterling has shouldered an added responsibility in myriad roles with aplomb. It was something noted recently by ESPN FC, which named Sterling as its breakout player of 2014:

But as we can see here, courtesy of OptaJoe, the 20-year-old is still some way off being the finished article:

With that in mind, a move to the Spanish capital would make little sense for the England man in the summer. He may be supremely talented and a player capable of occupying a host of positions with an insouciant distinction, but at this juncture, Sterling isn’t ready to oust players of the class of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema.

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Here’s a look at how the Liverpool youngster has performed in comparison to Los Blancos’ coveted array of offensive talent:

	Sterling	Ronaldo	Bale	Benzema
Apps (Sub)	19 (1)	15	13	14
Goals	4	26	7	8
Assists	4	8	3	7
Shots per Game	2.5	6.3	3.5	2.1
Key Passes per Game	2.5	2.6	1.3	1.4
Dribbles per Game	3.2	1.8	2	0.8

Sterling has a wonderful chance of establishing himself as one of the finest players in the Premier League at Liverpool. Rodgers will look to build the XI around his effervescent talents, and that extra responsibility should ensure Sterling grows as both a player and person at Anfield over the coming years.

He’s a confident lad and a player who would surely fancy his chances of breaching the starting line-up at the Santiago Bernabeu if he was given the chance. But for time being, you suspect Liverpool will refrain from cashing in on one of the most exciting young players in Europe, which would be a decision that's the most appropriate for all parties concerned.