How important is it for Liverpool to keep hold of Raheem Sterling?

Liverpool starlet Raheem Sterling has caused a bit of controversy recently due to a breakdown in contract talks which eventuated in him telling the Merseyside club that he wants out.

Born in Jamaica, Sterling signed for the Reds0 in 2010 from Queens Park Rangers as a 15-year-old and made his debut against Wigan Athletic two years later. He has gone one to make over 100 appearances for the club in several different competitions and has even featured prominently in England’s 2014 World Cup campaign.

Despite being just seven months shy of his 21st birthday it seems that one of the world’s top young players is ready to further his career at a different club, but why is that?

Just 12 months ago Liverpool were fighting for the English Premier League title. Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge were the deadliest duo in the competition, if not the world. However a series of flop signings and injuries to key players halted their momentum and really ruined the Brendan Rodgers revolution

So what should Liverpool do with Sterling. Sell or keep?

There have been a few murmurs that the unsettled Sterling could be moving to Premier League rivals Arsenal or Manchester City, and for big money too. The Mail has reported that the Reds have priced the 20-year-old at £50-60 million. If Liverpool are to give in to his desire to leave, then that gives Brendan Rodgers plenty of options to strengthen his squad. This season a lot of players were brought in to supplant the loss of Suarez. Rickie Lambert and Mario Balotelli struggled up-front, while Adam Lallana and Diego Lovren failed to make the same impact at Anfield as they did previously at Southampton.

The Northern Irishman would have learned from that, and if Sterling is sold then maybe they can bring in a big name player, such as Edinson Cavani or Gareth Bale for example. Obviously the fact that they will not be playing in Europe next season will be a factor, but as we have seen in the past with other clubs, money talks.

The only negative to losing Sterling is losing the talent that he undoubtedly possesses. We are now three years into the Rodgers revolution and while the results per season have been mixed, it cannot be denied that Liverpool are playing some of their best football in a long time, and if it’s star power Sterling is after then it could be staring right in front of him. He can easily grow into a player you can build a team around. That is the crazy thing, he is still years away from hitting the prime of his career, after developing him into the player he is it will be a huge blow to lose him, especially to a rival side.

Although Jordan Ibe has impressed many with his cameo appearances off the bench and will be a suitable replacement.

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But what if the Fenway Sports Group (FSG) and Rodgers are able to change the young man’s mind? With two years left on his contract, the attacker is legally obliged to stay to the club until 2017 but keeping an unhappy player is never a healthy situation.

The English international has made 89 appearances for Liverpool over the past two seasons (although he was left on the bench for the final game against Stoke) having a hand in 37 goals. Which is already quite impressive for a man his age, but there is still plenty of room for improvement.

While comparing him to Leo Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo is a little far-fetched, there is no denying the untapped potential his has. At Liverpool he is a key player. One of the first names to be written on the team sheet each week, but will that be the case at a club such Arsenal, Manchester City or Real Madrid?

Players such as Stevan Jovetic and Alvaro Negredo have struggled to nailed down a permanent spot at Manchester City, with the latter spending half the season on loan at Valencia. Bale’s struggles have been well documented at Real Madrid, while loan moves and a lack of game time has halted the developments of several other promising players in the past (can someone say John Guidetti?).

So from a logical standpoint it makes sense for Sterling to stay at Anfield to further develop as a player. If it is money he (or his agent) wants most, he still has plenty of years to make it. Last year it was found by the Professional Footballers Association that Premier League players peak at age 27. The Jamaican native will not be 27 until 2021.

However, at the end of the day football is Sterling’s occupation, the club is essentially a business and the FSG have to assure they are able to survive financially. Players come and go, even legends such as Steven Gerrard eventually leave the club, and Liverpool will continue to be competitive without the presence of their young winger.

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