Raheem Sterling is preparing to formally tell Liverpool he wants to leave Anfield after his agent called for fresh talks on the winger’s future.
Manchester City are ready to move for the 20-year-old as the rift between the player and his club intensifies.
It was being suggested on Monday night that Sterling feels he is being “bullied” into agreeing a new deal and that the club have not protected him from negative publicity.
Sterling was among the players who modelled next season's kit
Aidy Ward, Sterling’s agent, is planning to meet Liverpool’s chief executive Ian Ayre ahead of the final Premier League against Stoke City.
The latest face-to-face discussion has been initiated by Ward, who brought a halt to negotiations earlier in the season to enable Sterling to concentrate on trying to help his club qualify for European competition.
It is believed Ward will reiterate Sterling’s unwillingness to sign a new deal and create a deeper wedge between player and club to facilitate his transfer. Liverpool hoped a period of reflection would lead to the 20-year-old committing to the £100,000-a-week offer made several months ago, but that now looks out of the question.
Manchester City are among those known to be monitoring Sterling’s situation on Merseyside with interest, but it will not be easy for them to wrestle him out.
The player still has two years remaining on a £35,000-a-week deal, with club owner John W. Henry making it clear he is not prepared to sell to a rival this summer.
If Sterling does not sign new terms, he faces spending at least the next 12 months on the same salary as Liverpool refuse to budge and stick to what – on the surface at least – appears a prohibitive valuation of the player at around £50 million.
Relations between club and player have become strained
It has been a difficult second half of the season for Sterling, whose form dipped alarmingly after the contract impasse was made public. A television interview when the player said his dispute was not about finances – a matter of weeks after his agent had asked for a £150,000-a-week new deal – did not help his relationship with the Kop.
The youngster was Liverpool’s star performer for the first few months, although being forced to consistently switch positions because of the club’s lack of strikers did not help him.
Manager Brendan Rodgers will be determined to return Sterling to a fixed role next season to avoid the kind of inconsistency he suffered during the climax to this campaign.
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Meanwhile, Adam Lallana has promised to improve on his contribution to Liverpool next season. Signed for £25 million from Southampton last summer, the midfielder offered an honest assessment of his performances so far.
“Very average if I’m being honest,” he said. “My fitness has really frustrated me. Every time I’ve felt I’m getting going I’ve had a niggle and been out for two weeks. I started the season with an injury so I feel like I’ve got more to give next season. If I stay fit I feel I’ll contribute my best to the team. Hopefully we can move forward as a team and get into the top four and win trophies.”
With Steven Gerrard leaving, Rodgers is demanding more from his dressing room and Lallana – a former Southampton captain – will be expected to inspire those around him.
“I’m a leader, I feel responsible in the group,” he said. “But we’ve got a lot of leaders in the team. I feel we’ve got a good team spirit as well. I just hope we can build on this season, it’s had lots of ups and downs. But there are positives to be taken from it. And we want to take them into next year and definitely build on this season. There’s been the disappointment of getting to semi-finals and missing out on finals, missing out on the top four, but we need to learn from that and keep working as hard as we can, and keep giving our best.” Lallana has not been helped by the lack of quality strikers at Anfield, with a lack of runners beyond defences limiting his passing options.
“Possibly, yes,” he said. “It’s been made public that we’re looking for strikers so I’m sure we are. We are missing that 20-goals-a-season man up top, and that would’ve added another 20 goals to our season. That would have made a big difference.” Liverpool plan to announce Jordon Ibe’s contract extension this week, while deals are still anticipated to secure Manchester City’s James Milner and Burnley’s Danny Ings.
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