Reports in Spain, specifically from highly respected journalist Guillem Balague, suggest that Madrid definitely won’t be making a move for Raheem Sterling this summer because they are unimpressed with the player’s attitude.
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Balague certainly wasn’t pulling any punches with his comments as he tore into our young forward, who has been linked with a move to join up with former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez in the Spanish capital (via BBC Sport).
Although he complimented Sterling’s ability as a player, he highlighted several key areas of concern that he believes will be enough to detract any possible interest from the outgoing European champions.
Balague’s comments roughly translate as: “Sterling’s statistics are comparable to those of Messi or Cristiano at 20, but the difficulty for the English players is to overcome that hopeful beginning. Many have failed, clueless about money and a lifestyle that contrasts with the professional demands of the highest level.
“And therein lies the doubt Sterling. He claims to have a daughter. Rumours suggest he has more. His reputation was affected by a charge of assault in 2013 and last September was acquitted after his ex-girlfriend denounced him for violence. Sterling admits ‘mistakes’ and learned from them. He will not help Benitez in his new career.”
There’s no questioning Sterling’s ability as a player but his actions over the last couple of months have simply been unacceptable, and Balague (quite controversially…) has highlighted a murky past.
Sterling – whose agent, Aidy Ward, has all but ruled out any possibility of his client signing a new deal at Anfield (via the Evening Standard) – has also been linked with a move to Manchester United, with the Daily Mirror talking up the possibility of our rivals making a £25m bid.