Former Reds defender Jamie Carragher doesn’t expect Liverpool to give in easily to Raheem Sterling this summer, despite the wantaway forward upping his efforts to force through a move to Manchester City.
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As BBC Sport tells us, the youngster has asked to be left out of the club’s pre-season tour in the Far East, as he waits on a third bid from City. The outgoing Premier League champions have already had a £40m offer turned down, with reports in The Telegraph suggesting that we want closer to £50m.
The Reds travel to Bangkok on Sunday then fly on to Australia and Malaysia, with the trip lasting two-weeks in total, but Sterling remains determined to stay in England as he chases his much talked-about summer switch.
Carragher seemed unsurprised by Sterling’s actions, although he did warn his former teammate that he risks ruining his entire career if he continues to display such a bad attitude.
In quotes taken by the BBC, he said: “He’s starting to get a reputation that could be hard to rid himself of in the future. Are Man City fans looking at the situation and thinking this could be us in a few years?
“I think this situation will only make Liverpool more determined to get the fee they feel Raheem is worth, rather than caving in to Raheem’s and Man City’s wishes.”
Let’s hope Jamie proves to be correct. Most Liverpool fans would be delighted to take £50m for Sterling, provided that the required replacement is signed. But equally, we don’t want to cave in and allow the England man to move below his valuation. The conclusion to this saga doesn’t feel too far away.