Liverpool Transfer News: Shock Raheem Sterling, Christian Benteke Rumours Emerge

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is working on a "shoestring budget" of £20 million this summer, meaning he has to sell Raheem Sterling in order to fund a move for Aston Villa's Christian Benteke, according to the Sun (h/t the Daily Telegraph).  

Manchester City, Arsenal and Real Madrid are eyeing Sterling, according to the aforementioned report. The Sun (h/t the Daily Telegraph) previously noted Manchester United's interest in the player, who could prompt a £45 million bid from Madrid.

Los Blancos director general Jose Angel Sanchez is due to meet with Liverpool officials when the two sides face each other in a friendly on June 14, according to the Daily Telegraph. Rodgers has always maintained the Englishman is not for sale, as reported by Dominic King of the Daily Mail, but the suggestion the Reds need to secure additional income before moving ahead with their transfer plans is an interesting one.

Matthew Lewis/Getty Images

This is particularly true if you consider the club's two signings so far. City's James Milner and Burnley striker Danny Ings will both arrive on a free when their current contracts expire, although a compensation fee will need to be paid for the latter, as reported by the Press Association (h/t the Guardian).

Villa boss Tim Sherwood recently confirmed Benteke's £32.5 million buyout clause, as reported by John Percy of the Daily Telegraph. He is gathering interest from Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, according to the Daily Telegraph, and he is likely to move on for a hefty fee after his terrific end to the season.

Benteke netted 12 during his last 13 matches in the Premier League and FA Cup, playing a major role in Villa securing their top-flight status and passage to the latter competition's final. He did go over two months without a goal from January to March, though, as shown by WhoScored.com.

Stu Forster/Getty Images

The Belgian is a confident player—someone who has a tendency to offer little when he's not scoring—but he is currently in the right place to step up. WhoScored recently provided a comparison between Benteke and new Liverpool man Ings:

Last summer, the Reds carried out a net spend of £36 million, according to the Guardian. Acquisitions such as Adam Lallana (£25 million), Lazar Markovic (£20 million) and Mario Balotelli (£16 million) were offset by the outgoing £75 million fee received from Barcelona for Luis Suarez.

Quantity over proven quality seemed to be the mantra for last summer's arrivals, as highlighted by players such as Balotelli, Rickie Lambert and Dejan Lovren contributing little quality throughout the recently concluded season. Benteke would be an exciting signing, although he'd need to get off to a fast start to impress the Kop.

Sterling's departure seems inevitable right now. B/R UK's Sam Tighe recently considered where he could move:

His sale would undoubtedly lead to Rodgers bringing in other talents; however, Liverpool wouldn't have planned for the Sterling situation prior to last season. Owners Fenway Sports Group have always known investment is needed in a post-Suarez and Steven Gerrard era.

Liverpool will be looking to land a Champions League spot no matter what next season. Missing out on this revenue for a second successive year would only push the Reds further away from their rivals, making it difficult to sign players of Benteke's quality. It may be best for Rodgers to act quickly.