Liverpool to reject Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling bid and issue record transfer fee demand
Manchester City are likely to have shell out a record fee for an English footballer of more than £40m if they want to sign unsettled Liverpool forward Raheem Sterling.
The Reds were yesterday expected to reject City’s latest bid for the 20-year-old, which is thought to amount to £35.5m rising to a possible £40m with add-ons.
West Ham and England striker Andy Carroll fetched the current highest fee for an Englishman when he joined Liverpool from Newcastle for £35m in the January transfer window of 2011.
City appear determined to land the versatile attacker, who can play across the front three or as a No10, having made two offers already this summer.
Sterling, who has 16 international caps, has indicated that he does not intend to sign a new contract at Anfield and wants to leave the club. His current deal expires in 2017.
Real Madrid and Wales star Gareth Bale is the most expensive British player, having cost the Spanish club a current world record £85m when he moved from Tottenham in summer 2013.
The biggest fee paid by an English club is the £59.7m Manchester United paid Real for Argentina Angel di Maria last year.
ENGLAND’S DEAREST
▀ £35m Andy Carroll
Newcastle to Liverpool, 2011
▀ £30m Rio Ferdinand
Leeds to Man Utd, 2002
▀ £30m Luke Shaw
Southampton to Man Utd, 2014
▀ £27m Wayne Rooney
Everton to Man Utd, 2004
▀ £26m James Milner
Aston Villa to Man City, 2010
▀ £25m David Beckham
Man Utd to Real Madrid, 2003
▀ £25m Adam Lallana
Southampton to Liverpool, 2014