Barcelona Transfer News: Rumours on Raheem Sterling, Danilo

Liverpool star Raheem Sterling has been urged to turn down a move to Barcelona or Real Madrid in favour of an extended stay in the Premier League by former Red John Barnes.

Speaking to Hinch.as (h/t Goal's Harry West), the former winger said he believes the England international should stay with his current club for the next three years:

"

If I was Raheem Sterling I would stay with Liverpool for the next three years.

I've seen it with other young players, a lot to do with their agents, a lot to do with the money they have been offered, that they rush off to big clubs.

Of course Liverpool is a big club, but the temptation must be to go to Real Madrid or Barcelona or wherever, but the danger is that you can be lost to the game, and I can give you so many examples, like Jack Rodwell who went too early to Manchester City and Scott Sinclair who also went to Manchester City.

With all due respect to clubs like that, they might turn out to be worse for them, and they end up going back and then not getting a move again.

"

The Blaugrana currently face a transfer embargo, but that hasn't stopped speculation regarding their plans for the future. The club can technically sign players—they just can't be registered to play until 2016.

Liverpool don't want to sell their most prized asset, who many believe is the best young player in England, and Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe recently took a look at his value and what the club could do with the vast sum he would undoubtedly demand:

Barcelona already raided the Reds for their best player last year, dropping a huge chunk of cash on Luis Suarez, and while the Uruguayan initially struggled following a lengthy suspension, he is starting to find his place in the squad, combining well with established stars Neymar and Lionel Messi.

Unlike Suarez, Sterling likely wouldn't be a starter the moment he—hypothetically—sets foot at the Camp Nou. Messi is the Catalans' top option to play either behind the striker or out wide if Luis Enrique so desires, and Neymar won't be pushed out of the starting XI, either.

That doesn't have to be a problem for Barcelona, who always do a good job of bringing in young talent they can nurture, but with such a heavy price tag, Enrique may opt to look elsewhere. As for Sterling, Barnes has a very good point—he wouldn't play all that often, and for his development, that would be a problem.

A more likely candidate to move to the Catalans would be FC Porto right-back Danilo, but the Brazilian star has made it clear he currently has no interest in a transfer.

As reported by the Daily Mail's Pete Jenson, the 23-year-old had a funny reply to the steady stream of speculation he's encountered the past weeks: "There are far better-looking faces than mine to be appearing all the time on the front pages of the papers but I know it’s normal that if you play well for this club then other clubs start looking at you."

Dani Alves still hasn't signed a new contract with Barcelona, leaving a gaping hole out on the right wing heading into next season. The options available to Enrique are all well below the quality of the Brazil international, who himself has regressed in the past two seasons.

The veteran is dependent on his trademark speed and raw athleticism, and with age, those traits are starting to diminish. Brazil team-mate Neymar has reportedly already talked to Danilo in order to convince him to join the Blaugrana, per Marca:

As shared by Spanish football writer Sergi Dominguez, the young full-back is open to the idea:

Once again, Barcelona's transfer ban comes into play. Asking a young player to spend six months on the sidelines is a tough sell, and at this point, it's unclear whether it's possible to discuss some kind of deal with Porto that would allow the defender to continue playing with the Portuguese club until 2016.

Danilo's contract runs out at the end of the 2015-16 season, per Transfermarkt.co.uk, so if the Blaugrana are willing to exercise patience, they could just offer the Brazilian a pre-contract in January. That is, if another club doesn't scoop him up by that time.

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