Man City to offer Raheem Sterling £200,000-a-week to leave Liverpool

Posted Wednesday, May 20, 2015 by Express.co.uk

MANCHESTER CITY will offer to make Raheem Sterling one of their highest paid players in a bid to lure him away from Liverpool.

City are understood to be ready to give 20-year-old Sterling a five-year incentivised contract potentially worth around £50m with bonuses – or £200,000-a-week.

That is double the deal Liverpool have tabled to try and keep the England international happy at Anfield – and nearly six times times his current £35,000-a-week wages.

It means the total financial package involved in buying Sterling could be around £100m because Liverpool’s resolve to keep a player – who is under contract for two more seasons – will only be tested if City offer a transfer fee of around £50m.

City’s move is being driven by sporting director Txiki Begiristain who is determined to sign top English players this summer to help the club meet the ‘home-grown’ quotas.

City have also been linked with Everton pair Ross Barkley and John Stones, Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere, Burnley’s Danny Ings and Southampton’s Jay Rodriguez..

Raheem Sterling could cost over £50m

Sterling, who will have show down talks over his future with Liverpool on Friday, insists his desire to move is about winning trophies and playing Champions League football rather than money.

But former Liverpool player John Barnes has urged him to stay put to develop his game.

Barnes said: “Does anyone believe that if he goes to Manchester City he will be the first name on the team sheet or are Manchester City just signing him because they need English players? He should stay at Liverpool for a couple of years and then go, but that’s from a football point of view.”