Real Madrid should abandon their pursuit of Eden Hazard and instead sign Raheem Sterling, according to Chris Sutton.
Zinedine Zidane has made the Chelsea ace his top target in his first transfer window since his return to the dugout at the Santiago Bernabeu but Sutton believes he is targeting the wrong Premier League attacker. The former Chelsea and Aston Villa striker hailed Sterling as ‘world class’ in the aftermath of England’s 5-1 rout in Montenegro, where the Manchester City star ran the show while bagging a late goal.
And he advised Madrid to scrap their plans to sign the Belgium international and instead launch a bid for the 24-year-old.
"You have to say that Raheem Sterling is now world class," Sutton told the Daily Mail.
"If you were Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane, surely you would want to buy him over Eden Hazard. Is there anything Sterling cannot do? His weight of pass is superb, his movement off the ball is lethal and he has become deadly in front of goal."
"What defender in the world would want to face Sterling in this form? It doesn’t matter if you take him on or back off — either way he will destroy you."
"He is still just 24 and improving year on year. His wonderful performances for England in the last two games have confirmed that he can thrive on the international stage."
"Sterling is one of the hottest properties in world football. If I was Real Madrid, I’d be making him my No1 target."