Real Madrid Transfer News: Raheem Sterling Rumours Re-Emerge Ahead of Clear-out

Real Madrid are once again being linked with Liverpool's Raheem Sterling, a player who continues to improve in the Premier League.

Los Blancos were first said to be interested in the Englishman's services back in September, as reported by The Guardian's Nick Miller. The speedy forward is an inevitable piece of Madrid's puzzle according to talkSPORT's Paul Breen-Turner, who, during his discussion of lopsided wealth in La Liga on the Hawksbee and Jacobs show, suggested Sterling will head to the Bernabeu:

"

How can it be fair that these two clubs (Real Madrid and Barcelona) are slaughtering their own league with an unfair distribution of TV rights which enables them to come and take the best player from the Premier League every single season—whether that is Gareth Bale, David Beckham or Luis Suarez.

And Raheem Sterling will be next, by the way, because I am hearing he will be gone from Liverpool and will probably be at Real Madrid next season.

"

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Sterling is yet to sign a new contract with the Reds. He reportedly turned down an "improved" contract offer, according to Ben Jefferson of the Express, who believes Brendan Rodgers is "optimistic" he will get the 20-year-old to ink a new £90,000 per week deal.

The former Queens Park Rangers starlet scored a cracking goal to help Liverpool beyond Bolton in the FA Cup on Wednesday. He waited for Emre Can's lofted pass to travel over his head before calmly stroking into the back of the net with a fantastic volley. Sterling has certainly found his goalscoring touch in recent times, notching three goals in his last four fixtures, via WhoScored.com.

Sterling's game has improved since Rodgers moved him centrally in a 3-4-2-1 formation, a system which allows his electric pace and directness to excel. He makes incisive forward runs to increase the team's tempo, allowing Philippe Coutinho space to operate in attacking midfield.

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Carlo Ancelotti was suitably "impressed" with Sterling's performance when Madrid beat Liverpool in October, via the Spanish club's website.

Former Liverpool captain Jamie Carragher believes the Reds must do everything they can to convince Sterling to sign a new contract, as reported by Sky Sports:

"

For everyone at the club, the quicker it is done and dusted the better. 

He is a very young player and is one of the top players in English football. 

Like Coutinho, you need to keep these players at the club, because with losing an iconic player in Steven Gerrard at the end of the season, you have to keep the younger ones, who hopefully one day could become that icon.

"

Madrid are reportedly considering cashing in on players including Fabio Coentrao and Asier Illarramendi during the summer, transfers which could help pave the way for a Sterling fund. The Liverpool favourite would likely be a costly alternative to the £20 million-rated Marco Reus, reported by Jamie Anderson of the Daily Star.

B/R UK's Sam Tighe recently dissected Reus' value and qualities:

Both Coentrao and Illarramendi are struggling to maintain a consistent presence in the Madrid lineup. James Whaling of the Mirror believes the former "has been offered to Arsenal," while Anderson insists Real Sociedad are looking to re-sign Illarramendi to his boyhood club.

Neither player would represent a huge loss—they both offer quality but are largely surplus to requirements—and could help Madrid satisfy UEFA's Financial Fair Play guidelines ahead of a summer splurge.

President Florentino Perez loves to spend big during the summer—Luka Modric, Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez are testimony to this over the last three years—but he'll need to ensure the books are balanced before acting in summer 2015.

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Sterling is a prime candidate for Madrid. He's hard-working, marketable and developing into a regular match-winner. If Rodgers is unable to hold onto him in the long term, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the improving player represent the next wave of Madrid stars somewhere down the line.