A look at five reasons Manchester United should not be pursuing a move to sign Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling this summer after reports from the Guardian that the Red Devils could make a controversial raid on one of their biggest rivals as their star youngster looks to hold talks over a summer exit from Anfield…
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1) Plenty of attackers already
With the arrival of Memphis Depay from PSV already sorted for the summer (with completion of his medical confirmed by manutd.com), Manchester United have a wealth of attacking midfield options available to them already. Sterling is a good player, but how does he fit in alongside Depay, Angel Di Maria, Juan Mata, Ashley Young and Adnan Januzaj? Quite simply, the club have players good enough to do his job in their ranks already.
2) His stats aren’t great
Even if they felt Sterling would be an upgrade on players like Di Maria and Januzaj, who have both under-performed, it is arguable that the Reds wide-man’s own stats this season are not great for a player of his reputation. The England international has managed just eight goals and eight assists in all competitions for a fairly attack-minded side. Considering the hype, you’d expect a great deal more from a player who has often played up front and been given plenty of freedom to roam in a fluid attacking team. For all the criticism he has received, it is worth noting that Di Maria still has a respectable return of four goals and ten assists, which would quite conceivably improve after a full season to settle in England. The improvement from Mesut Ozil in his second season with Arsenal is illustration enough of that.
3) He’d be expensive
There are suggestions Sterling would cost around £40m (according to the Daily Mirror). Given the players United already have and the stats mentioned above, there’s no way Sterling is worth that kind of money. Of course, at the age of just 20, he has incredible potential, but it’s also too early to say if he will truly end up being the real deal, as many young players have started brightly only to flop later. Whoever does sign him is making a big gamble, and it’s not one United need to make this summer.
4) He can’t play wing-back
With Louis van Gaal often playing five at the back and looking to his wing-backs to provide width, it might be argued that Sterling is a good player to try for in this system, as he has also been used in a similar role for Liverpool this season. Still, it’s not hard to miss that many of his worst games have come in that role, which requires more running and defensive awareness. A quick look at WhoScored.com stats shows his best performances have come in a more central role, with 3 goals and 2 assists and an average rating of 7.38 as a centre forward, and a further two goals and an average rating of 7.33 as a central attacking midfielder. In contrast, Sterling has just two goals all season when playing wide left or right. Unless he can displace players like Mata or Wayne Rooney to play centrally or up front – or prompt Van Gaal to change his regular system – there’s a strong case to say Sterling would not add a great deal to this United side at all.
5) Other player exits
With David de Gea likely to be on his way to Real Madrid, according to BBC Sport and various other sources, a new goalkeeper has to be a priority signing for United this summer. Elsewhere, there is speculation that Robin van Persie (Daily Mail) and Radamel Falcao (Daily Express) could both leave Old Trafford, meaning out-and-out strikers are a must for the club to provide more alternatives to Rooney next season. Sterling is certainly not a 30-goal-a-season striker at this stage, and more proven goalscorers like Edinson Cavani (Metro) make sense as top priority targets in that position.