Arsenal and Tottenham have been joined by Real Madrid in the race to sign Raheem Sterling this summer, according to reports. The Manchester City and England forward has one-year remaining on his deal at the Etihad, opening the potential for a move away.
It comes at an important moment for both north London clubs, who are looking to build upon their respective successes this season. For the Gunners, their rebuild saw the fanbase united behind a promising young side again, putting the foundations in place for the next campaign.
Reflecting on the season, Mikel Arteta said: “They [supporters] can see what we’re doing, what the players want to do, how they represent the club, the values on and off the pitch, who we are as a group. And then we have the level that we have and it’s not been enough. We have to make a clear assessment on that and how we take the club to the next level. If we want to do that, we know what we have to do.”
READ MORE: Arsenal hold key advantage over Tottenham as Gabriel Jesus is ‘close’ to completing transfer
As for Spurs, Antonio Conte transformed the side during the season from a mid-table struggle all the way to fourth and a place in the Champions League. The Italian will be hoping that his impressive turnaround will give him licence to spend when it comes to transfers.
While the battle on the pitch is finished for another campaign, the battle off of it continues into the transfer market. Both clubs have been linked with a move for one Manchester City star in Gabriel Jesus, another has come to the scene in Raheem Sterling.
The 27-year-old is said to be of interest to the north London pair as his deal at the Etihad enters the final 12-months. However, while the pair may gear up to clash for his signature, another club has entered the fray.
According to the Daily Star, Real Madrid are interested in signing the England international in a £50million move. The La Liga champions are said to be keen admirers of Sterling and will pursue him in the wake of missing out on Kylian Mbappe, who signed a new deal at PSG until 2025.
While it represented a blow for Los Blancos, their attention has had to quickly shift elsewhere. Given the economic might of Real Madrid, it could make signing the forward a huge challenge for the two London clubs.
