Raheem Sterling will undergo a medical at Manchester City on Monday, after Liverpool accepted an offer worth £49million for the player.
Sterling has two years remaining on his current contract at Anfield, but refused terms on a new deal of £100,000-per-week earlier this year when he also made it clear he wanted to leave the club. It has since emerged that his relationship with Brendan Rodgers, the head coach of the Merseyside giants, has suffered so much it is now deemed to be beyond repair.
Liverpool immediately placed a £50million price tag on the head of the England international, a valuation which put him out of reach for a number of potential suitors. City, though, have more cash than most, but when their second bid of £40million was rejected last month, they are thought to have insisted they would not be prepared to go any higher to land him.
But as the new season draws ever closer, the Etihad Stadium club opened negotiations with the Reds again this weekend. And an initial fee of £45million has now been tabled and accepted, with a further £4million in add-ons to be included. And according to The Guardian, Sterling has already agreed a long-term deal with the Blues, which will net him £200,000-per-week.
His former club, Queens Park Rangers, will receive a portion of the fee, which will come in handy as Chris Ramsey looks to return them to the Premier League following their relegation last season. Sterling is now on route to Manchester ahead of his medical on Monday, after which he will formally sign his contract and become the most expensive player in the club’s history.
It’s not all good news for City, though. On Friday afternoon they looked to be on the verge of signing Fabian Delph after meeting his release clause of £8million, but the Aston Villa midfielder had a dramatic change of heart overnight and has now agreed to stay in the Midlands. He said: “I’m staying at the football club and I can’t wait for the start of the Premier League season.”
