Rafa Benitez wants to make sterling his first signing if he becomesMadrid Manager

Incoming Real Madrid boss Rafa Benitez wants to make Raheem Sterling his first signing at the Bernabeu, according to The Mirror.

Benitez hasn’t even been confirmed as the new Los Blancos boss yet, but it’s a given that the Spaniard will be taking over, having already bade farewell at Napoli.

With Sterling having made clear his desire to leave Anfield in the closing stages of the Premier League season, and having been benched for the final game as a result of the mounting tension, the 20-year old’s exit from the club this summer is now looking inevitable.

Liverpool are maintaining that Sterling will see out his contract, but the fact is that if Real Madrid come in with a big money offer, then Liverpool will be left with little choice but to sell.

And the Mirror highlight that Benitez and Sterling already know each other: the Spaniard was still Liverpool manager when the Reds signed Sterling from the QPR academy in 2010, and Benitez has apparently monitored his development closely ever since.