Liverpool starlet hotly tipped to make Emirates Stadium switch but why would Arsene Wenger target the Anfield man?
Arsenal have been repeatedly linked with an apparent interest in Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling (via Daily Star), and with the Reds having almost certainly failed to secure a top four finish this season, speculation is likely to continue.
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Though it’s true that Sterling has shown signs of real potential, there seems little reason why Arsene Wenger should be so keen on landing the Anfield star.
If Wenger is to invest in his squad this summer – and having failed to mount a genuine Premier League title push this term, he’d be well advised to do so – then is there a necessity to sign another attacker?
Scoring goals hasn’t proven a problem this season, and Arsenal have an abundance of creative attacking talents who are providing the ammunition, which makes fitting Sterling into the team an increasingly tricky proposition.
Summer capture Alexis Sanchez has had a standout campaign, while Mesut Ozil has begun to justify the huge outlay for his services and Santi Cazorla has proven a hugely consistent performer to boot.
Olivier Giroud has scored regularly and the likes of Theo Walcott and Danny Welbeck are also on hand to fill either wide or central attacking slots.
Whilst Wenger is well versed in the art of signing up and coming young talents, he is not a manager who is typically willing to spend huge sums doing so.
The Arsenal manager has started to build a side around top young British starlets over the past few years, signing players with big potential, but has done so in a measured fashion.
Consider for instance last summer when Man United elected to spend a massive £30m (via Daily Telegraph) for Luke Shaw the French boss conducted a similar Southampton raid but picked up Calum Chambers, arguably a player with as much potential as the young left-back, for a far more reasonable sum of £16m (via the BBC).
A move for Sterling is rumoured to be one that would cost Arsenal a club record £50m (via Daily Telegraph), and this is for a player who still doesn’t deliver nearly enough when it comes to an end product.
An outlay of such proportions would represent a huge risk – one which would totally go against Arsene Wenger’s previous record in the transfer market.
The two occasions Wenger has really opted to splash the cash in recent seasons came in the form of big money moves for Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, but those were two players who had already more than proven themselves at big European outfits in Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively.
Yes, Sterling is improving but his tally of 11 goals in 51 appearances could hardly be considered prolific. His total of nine assists in that same period is noteworthy, but again, not the level of effectiveness one would usually associate with a player worth £50m.
Arsenal would be better off spending their summer budget elsewhere.