Could Raheem Sterling really leave Liverpool in 2015…
It’s been a mixed year for Raheem Sterling. From starring in Liverpool’s run to second place in the Premier League, to being an isolated and frustrated figure at the head of an under-performing Reds strike force, from winning the Golden Boy award to arguing over a new contract.
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Sterling recently rejected the offer of a new £70,000-per-week contract, calling the tabled bid ‘unacceptable’. According to the Telegraph, a source close to negotiations even described the two parties as “nowhere near an agreement”.
With Liverpool now struggling in the league and looking increasingly unlikely to secure a second successive season of Champions League football, speculation is rising that the 20-year-old might choose to leave the Reds next summer.
Here are five possible destinations for him:
Manchester City
The Manchester Evening News claimed that Manuel Pellegrini’s side were interested in recruiting Sterling earlier this week. The Premier League champions are expected to spend heavily again at the end of the season after Financial Fair Play restrictions impacted on their business last summer. Pellegrini wants to inject youth into squad – and interest in Everton’s Ross Barkley is evidence of the club’s determination to be in the market for the top emerging talent. Sterling would also help City meet home grown player requirements.
Chelsea
Chelsea were regularly linked with Sterling earlier this year, although Mourinho has more recently decreed that he won’t be making any new signings in the January transfer window. However, it could well be a different story come next summer. If there is one criticism that can be made of the talented Blues squad, it’s that they lack quality options out wide. Sterling’s versatility as well as his ability to play as an out-and-out wide man with pace could be an attractive option to Mourinho, who is aiming to establish a legacy at Chelsea with a world class side.
Bayern Munich
The Independent recently linked Sterling with a move to Bayern Munich. A switch to Germany would certainly be a unique option for Sterling, who will not need to be reminded of the success of former Liverpool star Kevin Keegan, who enjoyed some of his best years with Hamburg. According to the Daily Mail, despite being only halfway through the current season, Pep Guardiola is already casting his mind forward to the 2015-16 campaign, readying targets for his side. Marco Reus his first choice, but he views Sterling as an excellent ‘plan b’.
Manchester United
Surely this could never, ever happen? According to the Daily Express, it could. Former Spurs chairman Sir Alan Sugar posted an ominous tweet predicting that Raheem Sterling could be leaving Liverpool for Old Trafford, and his prediction has been picked up by the national newspaper. United have not been afraid to spend big since Louis van Gaal took over as manager earlier this year, and the Dutchman will be aiming to pull off one of the biggest transfer coups of all time if he attempts to steal one of Liverpool’s best players.
Real Madrid
For Real Madrid, Raheem Sterling could be the perfect replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo, at least according to the Daily Mirror. Madrid have a history of signing British players, having taken David Beckham, Michael Owen and Gareth Bale in recent years, and Sterling could be the next in that line. The European champions are concerned about the tendonitis knee problem that plagued Ronaldo’s World Cup campaign with Portugal, although the 29-year-old has shown no signs of rustiness this season, as his formidable scoring record has continued.
SEE ALSO: Liverpool transfer news