Reports: Manchester City star Raheem Sterling could move to Real Madrid after signing new Adidas deal

Real Madrid are interested in luring Manchester City star Raheem Sterling to the Santiago Bernabeu, according to reports.

Sterling's future, along with that of teammate Kevin De Bruyne, was the topic of discussion before the English club's Champions League status was in doubt. They reportedly weighed up moves away from the Etihad Stadium in case City were banned from the competition.

The Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) overturned their two-year ban last week and cleared them to compete in the UCL. However, reports in Spain suggest Sterling's anticipated £10m-a-season deal with Adidas could help facilitate a move to Real Madrid.

Adidas could help Real Madrid raid Manchester City for Sterling

Sterling has been a massive hit at Manchester City

Raheem Sterling is a player who has been long admired by Real Madrid, even before the upcoming transfer window. After establishing himself as one of the most impressive performers for Pep Guardiola's side, Real Madrid have reignited their interest.

The Times reported earlier that Adidas are set to sign the Manchester City forward upon the expiry of his deal with Nike. Upon Sterling's eventual signing with the German sportswear giants, Adidas could reportedly help pave the way for a move to Real Madrid. Adidas have long been the sponsors of LaLiga champions Los Blancos.

46 - Raheem Sterling was directly involved in 46 goals in all club competitions in 2019, scoring 35 times and setting up a further 11 goals - this is six more than any other Premier League player over this period. Crown. pic.twitter.com/ou38spKbTO

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 31, 2019

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Sterling has previously spoken about Real Madrid's interest in him. Speaking on the 13-time European champions, the Englishman expressed;

"It [Real Madrid's interest] is one of those things... Now I am at City and I am very happy, but I also say that [Real] Madrid is a fantastic club. When you see the white shirt you already know exactly what the club represents, it is huge. Although I have to say that I have a great contract with City [until 2023] and I have to respect it. But it is a fantastic club."

Manchester City signed Sterling from current Premier League champions Liverpool for £49m in 2015. Since his move as a promising youngster, the 25-year-old gradually grew into one of the Cityzens' most important players.

Sterling has won a host of trophies with City

Sterling went on to win two Premier League titles and played a part in the only domestic treble in English football with Manchester City.

Real Madrid have a habit of signing the Premier League's crown jewels, with Gareth Bale and Eden Hazard being two notable names in recent times. The Belgian moved to Real Madrid last summer but endured a frustrating season in the capital due to injuries.

3 - Raheem Sterling is just the third player in Premier League history to score 3+ goals in a single game with two of the goals coming via headers and one from outside the area (also Gary Speed v Southampton, Nov 1996 and Georginio Wijnaldum v Norwich, Oct 2015). Rare. pic.twitter.com/xk4xXCEkMz

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 11, 2020

Should Sterling join Real Madrid, he would undoubtedly add further impetus and experience to a relatively young group of attackers. The likes of Vinicius, Rodrygo Goes, an the rest of Los Blancos' stellar attackers could be complemented well by the English attacker.

However, it would be interesting to see if Manchester City allow Real Madrid to take one of their most vital cogs.

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