Madrid’s deal for Gerrard

(GSM) – Real Madrid’s latest Champions League elimination will spark a £30million summer move for Liverpool’s superstar skipper Steven Gerrard.

Spanish sources say Real, who crashed out of the European Cup against Lyon last Wednesday, believe Gerrard, 29, is ready to quit Anfield after another frustrating season.

Real want to link the England midfielder with former Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo.

But even a hint that Gerrard could be prised away from Anfield would see the big-spending Spanish giants face fierce competition from the Premier League’s richest club Manchester City.

It’s thought, however, that if Gerrard left Liverpool he would prefer to move abroad rather than sign for another English club.

Liverpool would publicly resist any attempt to sign their talisman, knowing his transfer would provoke fury on the Kop and Gerrard signed a new deal last summer which runs until 2013.

But Real have a record of landing their top targets as they proved with their world-record £80m signing of Ronaldo.

They spent a staggering £200m last summer but even that hasn’t brought them the trophy they covet most the European Cup.

Now, they are hoping Gerrard can help them be more successful on all fronts and in another twist, Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is once again being linked with the Bernabeu hot-seat.