Sources: Big update on Real Madrid signing Sterling as price tag and Villa pursuit revealed

Sources: Big update on Real Madrid signing Sterling as price tag and Villa pursuit revealed

Wayne Veysey

Founder & Managing Director AUTHORITY Former chief correspondent at Evening Standard, Goal and Press Association with nearly three decades in national, regional and digital news and sports journalism. Wayne directs the network’s news strategy and high-level operations. FOCUS Editorial direction for the 11-site network and newsroom management. THE BRIEF Wayne oversees the network’s editorial standards across the network. He provides the final sign-off on all headline scoops, ensuring content across all platforms meets the standards required for a high-velocity newsroom.

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Real Madrid are keeping tabs on Raheem Sterling amid growing doubts over his Man City future, Football Insider can reveal.

A recruitment source has told Football Insider that Real are monitoring Sterling's situation as the door swings open for a potentially huge deal in the upcoming window.

The Champions League semi-finalists have long had an interest in Sterling's ability to penetrate defences.

Guardiola is said to want a team of pure footballers and Aston Villa star Jack Grealish is seen as a better fit for is pursuit of total domination of the ball.

City sources have told Football Insider that Sterling is vulnerable to the Spaniard's ruthless streak even though he has been a mainstay of the starting XI up until recent weeks.

An offer of around £75million is likely to be enough to persuade the Manchester club to sell up this summer.

City would then look to plough the proceeds into securing Grealish, who has a release clause in his Villa contract.

Sterling enters the final two years of his Etihad Stadium contract this summer and talks over an extension have been delayed as he is changing agents.

His current deal, running until 2023, is reported by BBC Sport to be worth up to £300,000-a-week.

Aston Villa

Sterling has started 25 Premier League and six Champions League matches this term, with his 44 appearances in all competitions yielding 13 goals and 11 assists.

Tellingly, he has not started any of City's last four European games, with Phil Foden preferred on the left side of the attack, and is likely to miss out again in tonight's mouthwatering semi-final showdown against Paris Saint-Germain.

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