Manchester City has a slim chance of making the Champions League with its appeal to UEFA still in tow. Though they could miss out this year, some feel that there are players who could end up unhappy. One of them is Raheem Sterling, reportedly a high-priority target by rival Manchester United. However, the chance to convince the 25-year-old winger to join United may be daunting considering his asking price and the fact that there are multiple teams also interested in the Jamaican football player.
One of the teams also in the hunt to possibly pry Sterling from the clutches of City is Real Madrid. There are claims that if ever he does decide to leave, Santiago Bernabeu looms as a more sensible destination over Old Trafford. But until that happens, expect United to leave the door open. One thing that Real and United have in common is that both may be wary of paying the stiff asking price of Manchester City. The fee needed to get Sterling from Etihad Stadium is roughly $251 million.
This would be a high profile move for United if they can get it done. To date, he is the only other big name that has been linked to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Jadon Sancho is the other name being mentioned, and a deal could be made this summer.
Sterling has been positioned along with the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe. There is a chance that City may ask for more than what he is presently worth. Sterling has made no indication of wanting to leave Etihad Stadium, but anything can change moving forward. Though they are banned from the Champions League, it may take more to convince him to switch clubs moving forward.
On that nothing, United needs to prove that they have something better to offer to Sterling. They are currently at the 5th spot of the Premier League table. If the ban remains, the Red Devils could advance to the Champions League on a technicality. For the player to join, they need to prove they can win games with what they have right now.
It would be best to take this lightly for now. Sterling moving to United remains a possibility, but seeing it go down may take a lot. United simply has options, and Sterling is allegedly at the top. Given that City won't make it easy, Solskjaer may tweak the order of priority in targets unless the Red Devils have something sneaky up their sleeves.
