Barcelona legend Xavi believes Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling can turn into the”best in the world” after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo quit dominating.
Sterling has blossomed under Xavi’s former Barcelona director Pep Guardiola 25 goals last season and incorporating six this term.
The Spanish midfielder played in the Nou Camp alongside Messi and feels Sterling is on track to succeed the Argentinian as the world’s best footballer.
Xavi told The Mirror:”Messi and Ronaldo have dominated the best-player-in-the-world awards for so many years now, it is difficult to remember a time before them.
“Messi is the best ever for me – and though they’re equally playing at a really significant level – there’ll come the day not so long away if someone else needs to step into these shoes.
“You consider young players that can be crowned the future finest on earth and you still think of Neymar, Mbappe, Salah, not to mention Sterling. I look at the moment – and now Sterling is winning this race”
24, sterling, burst on the scene because a star for Liverpool before a quiet first couple of years at City, but because Guardiola took charge he has started to match his potential.
“He has always been a fantastic player, a reckless player, but beneath Pep he has become among the finest on earth,” added Xavi.
“I understand how Pep works – he would have worked closely together because his arrival – in which he wants to improve and what he had to operate on.
“We are seeing the results of that – he’s still young and may be the world’s best.”
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