Liverpool are reportedly thinking about a shock move to take Raheem Sterling back to Anfield from rivals Manchester City.
The 25-year-old left the Merseyside giants to join City in 2015, and he has since gone on to score 89 goals and provide 72 assists in 230 appearances for the club.
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In that time he’s also won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and three League Cups, playing an instrumental role for Pep Guardiola’s side having emerged as one of the top forwards in Europe.
However, despite that success and the fact that City are in direct competition with Liverpool, L’Equipe, as re-reported by the Express, have claimed that Liverpool are considering a swoop to try and secure a shock return to Anfield for Sterling.
The report goes on to suggest that he could be viewed as a replacement for Sadio Mane amid ongoing fears of interest from Real Madrid, and so it remains to be seen if the blockbuster transfer merry-go-round is put into motion ahead of next season.
In truth though, many Liverpool and City fans will raise their eyebrows at the suggestion of a Sterling move back to Anfield, as it seems such an unlikely deal for many reasons.
From City handing over one of their leading stars to a direct rival, to Sterling joining his former club after years of hostile receptions on his return to Merseyside, there are a number of reasons as to why a move wouldn’t make sense.
An exit for one of their star forwards could certainly open up the possibility for Liverpool, but for Man City to give the green light to Sterling joining Liverpool seems like one of the most unlikely decisions we’ll be seeing in the near future and a huge stretch in terms of speculation.