According to a recent report by The Daily Mail, European giants Real Madrid are being credited with a strong interest in acquiring the services of Manchester City’s English international winger Raheem Sterling this summer. The report suggests that Los Blancos will look to capitalise on the Citizens’ peculiar situation as a club, having been handed a gutting two window ban by UEFA, and a hefty fine as well. It has even been suggested that the former Liverpool man could cost the Galacticos near £180m to sign this summer.
The claim is that Zidane is prepared to ‘go all out’ in an attempt to secure the signature of the Manchester City speedster. City are said to have breached multiple guidelines of the Financial Fair Play regulations, resulting in a ban that could turn things completely upside down at the Etihad Stadium. The possibility of having no European football for two seasons would come as a massive blow to a growing club like City, and it’s no surprise that Real Madrid have already begun identifying any potential targets at the Etihad.
What Gaps Would Sterling Fill At Real Madrid?
Since Zinedine Zidane’s takeover of Real Madrid, the Galacticos’ general playing style has been extremely specific. Despite boasting a plethora of top quality attacking stars in their ranks, Zidane does seem to tactically prefer wing-play over using the more central areas of the pitch. This means that a three-man forward line is a necessity, hence eradicating the number ten slot from the formation itself. Effectively, players like Marco Asensio and Isco haven’t really been able to hit the expected heights because they’re never played in the right position.
The addition of a player like Sterling makes complete sense with regard to Zidane’s ideology and saying that the speedster could eventually replace Gareth Bale wouldn’t be overstating things either. The Welshman’s long spell has been far from satisfactory, and his performances till date lack the conviction and quality that he showcased during the early years at White Hart Lane. Bale seems to run out of ideas after getting into wide areas and has just two goals and two assists to show for his efforts this season.
Now 30, it’s hard to imagine Bale hitting any new heights as a footballer in the famous white kit. Sterling has developed into one of the deadliest attackers in world football over the last few seasons. Despite not hitting the same prolific heights as the previous term, the Englishman has displayed on multiple occasions that he has what it takes to singlehandedly change the course of a fixture – an attribute that Zidane will surely be eager to procure.
Why Real Madrid must Move For Sterling In The Summer
Los Blancos currently find themselves at the top of the La Liga table, clear of second-place Barcelona by a mere point. For all the substantial work that the French gaffer has done since his return to the Spanish capital, Madrid have had to deal with a lot of untimely injuries and suspensions.
Sterling has the directness and pace to walk into a team like Real Madrid, and the opportunity to play alongside Eden Hazard could turn out to be too much for the Englishman to pass up on. Sterling will, no doubt, improve the attributes of this Real Madrid squad, and given Manchester City’s current predicament, Zidane could be presented with the ideal opportunity to move for him this summer.
