Manchester United are being linked with a shock move for Raheem Sterling if Manchester City’s two-year ban from the Champions League is upheld.
Europe’s football governing body, UEFA, announced in February that City would be banned from playing in any of the club competitions for the next two seasons following serious breaches of Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.
However, City are set to appeal their ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over three days early next week, starting on Monday, June 8.
Should City lose their appeal and their ban is upheld, the club could face players exodus especially from their stars, who will leave in search of playing in Europe’s elite club competition elsewhere.
Sterling has been one of the players earmarked to leave and has already been linked with a move to Real Madri.
And according to the Independent, while a move would appear unlikely, it hasn’t stopped United from monitoring the situation and would likely make a move for the 25-year-old if he did become available.
The report suggests that Sterling is being closely watched by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the Red Devils’ analytics department but acknowledges that Madrid would be the player’s first choice of destination.
It goes on to suggest that Jesse Lingard’s time at the club is also up and he may be allowed to leave the club this summer.
The England international has been ‘in regular contact’ with Roma loanee Chris Smalling and Ashley Young, who is at Inter Milan, about the prospect of joining the duo in Italy.
AC Milan are said to be interested in the attacking midfielder
