The good news is Liverpool don’t look to be shy with their wallets.
The bad news? Raheem Sterling is interested in trophies.
The England international’s future at Anfield looks perilous after he confirmed that he turned down a £100,000-a-week contract from the club.
He has said that he will not talk about contracts until the summer – presumably because that’s when Real Madrid start their negotiations.
“It’s not about the money at all,” he told BBC Sport in between Learn To Speak Spanish cassettes.
“It’s never been about money. I talk about winning trophies throughout my career. That’s all I talk about. I just purely want to be the best I can be.”
Sterling’s interview with the BBC wasn’t sanctioned by Liverpool, something which may cause further tension between the club and the player.
https://twitter.com/Andrew_Heaton/status/583315137005793281
Sterling has two years left on his current contract but, even after being offered nearly a 200 per cent per cent weekly increase in salary, he said he will not listen to any more offers until the season is over.
The Jamaican-born attacker looks to be holding Brendan Rodgers to ransom over his performances. He agreed that he would have signed a deal last year during the title fight but now that their chances of clinching the league are as low as Sterling scoring a one-on-one against David De Gea, the player is not interested.
So much for player responsibility.
“If, at that point in time, I was offered a contract, I most definitely would have signed straight away, probably for far less money than being said now.
“[Now] I just want to take the time to think about what I’ve achieved in my career so far, where I need to go and what I need to do to get better as a player.”
Sterling’s desire for trophies looks to have all but ruled the ‘Pool out of the running for his long-term future. At least, if it was about the money, they could’ve come to some sort of arrangement.
