The rumor mill has reared its head yet again and Real Madrid is at the center of it all. And unsurprisingly Gareth Bale is the main headline.

It seems that speculators are intent on having Real Madrid move the Welshman to another team to fund a big move. And this time, Raheem Sterling is the prize.

This latest twist in the Bale saga has come on the heels of Sterling rejecting a new deal with Liverpool, with many speculating that he is waiting on the European champions. But does this move make any sense whatsoever?

So here are some straight facts. Bale was the most expensive player of all time. He then went on to have a big season with the club and scored game winners in the two biggest games of the year. He also topped 20 goals in his first year while helping form the most dynamic scoring trio in the world.

And now in 2014-15, he is still having a terrific game, despite what many claim. He has six goals in 11 games coupled with three assists. His average of 1.3 key passes per game are sixth on the team, and he is second on the team in shots per game. He is also passing at a better success rate than ever in his career

He is, however, the player to average more bad controls than any other this season. He has been criticized for disappearing for long stretches, but that has more to do with the team's style of play than his own ineptitude. Simply put, Madrid hanging in the offensive half means that the opposition is parking the bus behind the ball. This in turn means that Bale does not have enough space to leverage his blazing speed. And thus becomes less noticeable then last year when the team was still relying heavily on its counter for scoring. But that does not mean he has been poor. Not by any means. The stats prove that he is contributing offensively even if he is struggling to control the ball properly. He is 25 and still looking to adapt his game to a new system.

So what of Sterling who already plays in a possession environment at Liverpool? What can he bring? Offensively, he has produced three goals and four assists in 15 games in the bruising Premier League. Obviously, Liverpool is not in the same league as Real Madrid and is far from the contender that the Spanish side is. The fact that Sterling's three goals are tied for the team lead with aging captain Steven Gerrard tells you everything you need to know about the English side's offensive woes. He is averaging 2.3 key passes per game, more than Bale this year, but he is also the focal point of his team's attack. The same cannot be said of Bale. It is worthy to note that the Welshman was putting up similar figures when he was the main man at Tottenham so roles play a large role in some of these stats. But that also means that he has the most mishandles per game, same as Bale. In the case of Bale it is 1.7 per game while for Sterling is it 2.8 per game. Different leagues apply again, but this is also a weakness for Sterling.

Neither is an elite defender or anywhere near that so those comparisons are negligible. The main point of contention is that bringing in Sterling would like be with a look to the future and as a replacement for Bale.

Which is why this idea makes no sense. Sterling is far younger than Bale (he is 20 years old), and his potential is still unknown. Bale on the other hand is a proven commodity that still has his best years ahead of him. Not to mention that he is supposed to be the heir apparent to Cristiano Ronaldo when the superstar moves on. Ronaldo is not looking to slow down at the moment, and this might be the reason Bale is being seen as replaceable.

Do you think Madrid should get rid of Sterling in exchange for Bale? Let us know in the comments section below.

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