Report: Real Madrid not planning audacious bid for Sterling

Real Madrid doesn't plan to submit a bid for Manchester City star Raheem Sterling despite rumors suggesting the contrary, sources told Ben Hayward and James Robson of the Evening Standard.

Sky Sports reported Monday that the Spanish giants were preparing an offer of £70 million, plus Gareth Bale in an attempt to sign the explosive English forward.

For their part, Manchester City said the suggestion that they'd be open to selling Sterling is "ridiculous," Hayward and Robson added.

Madrid have been linked with Sterling in the past but are reportedly prioritizing adding another midfielder, though they are expected to wait until the summer to do so.

Bale was shopped to various Premier League clubs during the summer but there was minimal interest in the oft-injured Welshman, who is reportedly desperate to leave the Spanish capital in 2020.

He's found himself at odds with manager Zinedine Zidane this season, with the Frenchman openly admitting he wanted the 30-year-old to leave the club this past summer.

Sterling, meanwhile, has blossomed in recent years into one of the most productive attacking players in the world. Still only 24 years old, he'd likely command one of the largest transfer fees of all time were he to move.