Former Manchester United defender, Rio Ferdinand has made the blockbuster claim that Liverpool should re-sign Raheem Sterling after his recent treatment at Manchester City.
Sterling has improved immeasurably since making the move from Liverpool to City in 2015. He has scored 73 league goals in just 168 league games under the Spaniard.
However, his form dipped in the 2020/21 campaign, and he faces added competition for places following the arrival of Jack Grealish from Aston Villa in the summer.
The England international was handed his first start since City’s 1-0 defeat away at Tottenham on the opening day of the Premier League campaign back in August.
Sterling’s rough time continued in the 0-0 draw against Southampton and it doesn’t look like getting easier for him any time soon.
And his failure to impress when being presented with an opportunity has led to further speculation linking him with a move away from the Etihad.
Ferdinand believes Sterling’s poor form is down to a lack of confidence after losing his place in the team, having for so long been the focal point at City.
“It’s only because he’s been taken out of the team that he’s lost confidence,” Ferdinand said on his Vibe with Five show. “He was on fire. He was producing.
“This guy was the go-to guy when they needed a goal for so many years. All of a sudden, he’s in the wilderness. I’m just baffled by it; I don’t understand it.
“But this is the thing with Pep [Guardiola], he gets it right more often than not, but with this one with Sterling… there must be clubs sitting there going, ‘boy, let me see how this situation pans out because I will take Sterling all day.’
Ferdinand expects a number of Europe’s top clubs to be monitoring the situation – including Manchester United.
“If I’m Liverpool, I’d buy Sterling tomorrow … If I’m him, I wouldn’t go to Barcelona or Real Madrid right now, that’s why I said Liverpool … Man United will take him!” He added.
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