Former Chelsea striker Chris Sutton has opined that Real Madrid should prioritise a move for English forward Raheem Sterling instead of Eden Hazard.
In his column for Daily Mail, Chris Sutton has remarked that Real Madrid should make a move for a Manchester City superstar instead of long-term target Eden Hazard. The former Chelsea striker has claimed that Raheem Sterling would be a better fit for Los Blancos’ requirements.
For a long time, Eden Hazard has reportedly been the top target for Real Madrid, who tried signing him last summer and continue to remain in his pursuit. But, as per former Blackburn Rovers and Chelsea star Chris Sutton, Raheem Sterling should be the priority for the La Liga heavyweights.
“You have to say that Raheem Sterling is now world class. If you were Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane, surely you would want to buy him over Eden Hazard. Is there anything Sterling cannot do? His weight of pass is superb, his movement off the ball is lethal and he has become deadly in front of goal. What defender in the world would want to face Sterling in this form?”
“It doesn’t matter if you take him on or back off — either way he will destroy you. He is still just 24 and improving year on year. His wonderful performances for England in the last two games have confirmed that he can thrive on the international stage. Sterling is one of the hottest properties in world football. If I was Real Madrid, I’d be making him my No1 target.”
2018-19 is turning out to be the season of reckoning for Raheem Sterling, who has finally managed to silence his detractors for good. Not only has the English forward managed to continue remaining a key player for Manchester City, he is also among the goals in international football, leaving onlookers in no doubt that he is now rightly one of the best players in the world.
At club level, Sterling’s record is simply staggering – 19 goals and 16 assists in 40 appearances across all competitions – and he also has six goals in his last four appearances for England. And, with the 24-year-old becoming a prolific customer in front of goal, there is no reason why he cannot be a solution that Real Madrid have been seeking.
The departure of Cristiano Ronaldo last year has left a big hole in the attacking department, with Karim Benzema the only player coming up with the goods on a consistent basis this season. And so, signing a productive forward is rightly a priority for Real Madrid for the upcoming summer transfer window.
To that end, Sterling would be a viable target for Los Blancos to pursue, although Kylian Mbappe is reportedly one of the other top targets in place of Hazard, as per recent reports. Sutton’s opinion though, does make sense and it remains to be seen if Raheem Sterling emerges as a target for Real Madrid this summer.
