The sale of former Liverpool player Raheem Sterling to Manchester City has the football world abuzz with the expectations on the 20-year-old’s shoulders beyond comprehendible.
Last year’s winner of the ‘LFC – Young Player of the Year’ award, Sterling has been receiving large amounts of criticism since his decision to put off contract negotiations with the club after turning down a £100,000 per week offer.
Fans became agitated by Sterling’s behaviour and when it was announced on Sunday that Sterling would not be joining his teammates on the flight to Bangkok for the club’s preseason tour of Asia and Australia, a sense of relief was felt throughout the football world.
“The two clubs have agreed a deal and subject to a medical, he will move on,” Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers told the UK’s Daily Mail, ending months of speculation.
Rodgers also added that despite the situation, he and Sterling maintain a very strong relationship, banishing suggestions he and the England international had a failing out.
“Raheem and I have stayed very strong in our relationship … there is no issue there,” Rodgers said.
The £49 million deal makes Sterling the second-most expensive British player ever, and leaves Liverpool with some decisions to make on possible replacements.
Queens Park Rangers will also benefit from the Sterling deal through a sell-on clause, which will see them receive 20% of the £49 million price tag. Sterling was purchased from QPR in 2010 as a 15-year-old and won many fans over his stint at Liverpool. But the nature of his departure has left a sour taste in the mouths of many.
Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard was reluctant to comment on the departure of Sterling in an interview for new club LA Galaxy.
“As a Liverpool fan I’m very disappointed about his decision, very very disappointed,” he said.
Liverpool must look to the future and spend wisely, with rumours flowing the club will potentially meet the £32.5m buyout clause of Aston Villa’s Chistian Benteke. The Belgian is believed to be Liverpool’s primary target despite some concerns of Reds fans.
Other potential targets for the club, pushing to secure its place back in the top four, include Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette and a giant bid for Borussia Dortmund’s Marco Reus, although a link has been reported many times with nothing ever coming of it.
Lacazette would be a solution to the Reds striker woes, but Arsenal remains favourite to sign the French International.
The futures of both Mario Balotelli and Fabio Borini remain unconfirmed as both players were excluded from the club’s tour. Loan deals remain a possibility with the most attention coming from Italy.
What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.
