12 Nov 2013

LFC in talks to let €8m star leave Anfield in January, and he's keen to go...

Swansea City are reportedly in talks with Liverpool over the possibility of signing Raheem Sterling on loan during the January transfer window.

According to The Mirror this week:

"Liverpool are set for Raheem Sterling transfer talks with Swansea.

"Sterling is keen on the move as it would boost his chances of making it to the World Cup with England"


I think most fans would agree that a loan move would be the best thing for Sterling at this stage.

His development has (arguably) stagnated over the last six months, and with intense competition in the LFC squad (and a reduced number of games this season), it's highly unlikely the youngster is going to get regular game time at Anfield.

Sterling - reportedly the subject of a £7.5m bid from Spurs last season, has started only two games this season, and the rest of the time he's come off the becnh for 10-15 minutes here and there.

Brendan Rodgers is acutely aware of the hype surrounding Sterling (much of it created by him!), and in a recent interview, he reiterated the need to take things slowly. He told the Liverpool Echo:

"Look at Raheem's progress in the last year or so. He's propelled himself from a youth team player to an England player. He still has a long way to go though, and at this stage we're just looking make sure we nurture that. If [he] can devote [his] life, be professional and take the opportunities when they come then he is going to have an excellent chance"

Wherever Sterling ends up on loan, it will be interesting to see how he responds when out of his comfort zone. It'll be sink or swim time for him, but Jonjo Shelvey is a prime example of how to do things properly. He left Anfield in the summer, and he seems to be doing well at Swansea, and perhaps Sterling can do the same.

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33 comments:

  1. Going on loan can only help him. We have nothing to lose since he's currently rotting away on the bench.


    The idea that he'd make the World Cup squad is a bit of a stretch in my opinion, but if he makes it good for him as that would mean he's playing well.

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  2. He has had many off field issues and the lad is wet behind the ears. If anything a loan move will show whether he is up for the challenge.

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  3. Ibe can comfortably fill Raheem's role as a pacey impact sub, and the opportunity for some first team experience in the second half of the season could really do him some good- As well as the obvious benefits of Raheem going away and getting some game time..

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  4. Could prove to be a similar experience to Wilshere going out to Bolton before really bursting onto the scenes for Arsenal!!

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  5. I know Rodgers did praise Sterling but I always remember there being lots of caveats. I remember him always saying he had a long way to go and he needed to stay focused. In fairness what else was he going to say, hey you kid your sh!t?

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  6. The thing about this rumour is that I am not sure he will get much in the ways of game time. Despite them having Europa league games to contend with I am not sure they are going to pick him ahead of Dyer for instance. He will still be third or fourth choice.

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  7. I think it was a straight swap for Gerrard, and no need to tinker with the rest of the team. Anyway we have to see if Allen has anything to offer now, he certainly looked very good when he started with us, if he has lost it, then lets find out and move him on, if he still has something to offer, thats even better.
    At some time BR is gonna have to address the Allen and Borini problem, surely he does not think we dont notice those 2 are still on our playing staff, or does he?

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  8. If he goes on loan, who is on the hook for his off the pitch hand holding to keep him out of trouble? He is a risk of turning into Balotelli light.
    Other than that I think loan is good because he needs games and he stands a better chance somewhere else right now. I agree that maybe someone else lower on the table would be nicer because he stands a better chance of starting regularly. Swansea isn't that far down are they? Fulham needs the help now.

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  9. What is his Borini problem? He's on loan and doing ok.

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  10. Doing okay, how many games has he played, ?
    He was'nt picked to play again last weekend, so he is as far down the Sunderland pecking order as he was at Anfield, so what benefit is that to us, zilch.
    We need players to be competing for places, not just bench warmers. Look at our CD's, the competition is fierce, thats the way it should be throughout the whole team, with 3/4 exceptions.
    IMO its time BR took the finger out, and ships those not good enough out, even if it means him losing face, as the most obvious ones to ship out are his own signings. Remember he offered Henderson in a straight swap for Dempsey, glad that fell by the wayside. BR needs to man up, bite the bullet, and move on those players who are clearly not good enough. I would definitely put Aspas and Borini in that category, and maybe a few more, like Allen if he does not start proving himself very soon.

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  11. Ibe should have got the chance vs Fulham, and Sterling should already be in Swansea..

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  12. Ideally you are correct... the problem is that we are out of the Cap One Cup, which is when Raheem would get a significant amount of playing time.

    Our depth cannot be utilized because we aren't playing enough games yet.


    Curious to see how that changes in December with our hectic schedule and then in January when the FA Cup starts up.

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  13. the reality is borini and allen are not good enough for liverpool no matter how you dress it...

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  14. sterling wont get a game at swansea

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  15. If only he had half the talent of Balotelli, he might be worth putting up with

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  16. Mignolet
    Enrique Agger Skrtel Johnson
    ---------Gerrard Matic
    -----------Coutinho
    ---Suarez Sturidge Moses.
    Great subs in all 4 positions in defence. 3 very solid ones in the mid three,and promising one in attack. Clearly another striker or winger would be perfect, but switching to a different formation if one or two is injured is still good option...

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  17. There was enough minutes for Sterling and Ibe should have got them..

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  18. Agree.
    But what a goal in Tyne wer darby from Borini- you can see he has got something, but I dont think he is at our level...

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  19. Yes great goal, but the purpose of his loan was to get games. Sunderland sacked their Italian Manager, and appointed Poyet, and he doesnt fancy Borini or he would have played him. Now the only benefit to us is they are paying his wages, if it was me, I would tel his agent to get to work for the January sales.

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  20. of course,he will probably end up in Atalanta,but there is room for hope...

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  21. Swansea is the wrong team

    Dyer, Routledge, De Guzman etc. Sterling won't get ahead of them consistently

    Derby County all the way if it means we can get Will Hughes, if he is any good

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  22. We brought Sakho and Toure for the worst case scenario in terms of Skrtel and Agger form and them eventually leaving, but now we have best case scenario- all four want and deserve to play. we must cash in on one- Toure and Sako, it is impossible, Agger is the next skipper, and Skrtel is simply the best so far.
    Or we can find a way for all to stay and say thank you to Toure in the summer.

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  23. There is a straightforward solution ... loan Skrtel to Borussia Dortmund in January. Their starting centre back Neven Subotic will miss the rest of the season with a serious knee injury.

    Skrtel isn't in anyway CL tied and would do very well in that defence of Dortmund. The prospect of playing for last years CL finalists should also appeal to him. And we are buying time until we need all our centre backs next year in Europe ...

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  24. Don't know ... we brought Sakho in just before the window shut with no actual danger of Skrtel or Agger leaving. Sakho seemed to be a panic buy back then ... maybe he was signed to appease the fans after last year's final day fiasco and us missing out on Mkhitaryan and Willian. There was no real reason to get him. Between Agger, Skrtel and Toure would have been enough competition ...

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  25. AndWithSuchSimplicity12:03 am, November 13, 2013

    We missed Agger in the games at Newcastle and Arsenal. He is one of the few centre-backs we have capable of bringing the ball out of defence, stretching play, and also getting the occasional shot off at goal. Away at Newcastle all we did at the back was knock it about without any real purpose. If you look at the team, he is our most cultured centre back and its incredible he isn't first choice, especially as Rogers allegedly favours 'footballers'.
    I said in a post the other day that Rogers didn't need to buy Sakho - we had one of the best back-fours in the league already. The £18M could have gone towards a dynamic midfielder instead.

    If I had to choose, I'd sell Skrtel. But i'd rather keep them both.

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  26. AndWithSuchSimplicity12:07 am, November 13, 2013

    I think Sakho was bought specifically with the 3-5-2 in mind. Rogers obviously felt he needed a brick sh!thouse at the back. If we're going to play some football, however, you just can't ignore Agger.
    What baffles me is that we had already had 3 clean sheets, so he changed it....

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  27. Keep it as it is the man with the shirt has to keep it by playing well and winning matches if he falls below the standard he is replaced by another international Skrtel had to but up with it Agger likewise and now it is the turn of Sakho its how Liverpool used to be its the same for the full backs and with Jan signings will be for the midfield also there should be money to spend in Jan enough to put players places under pressure to win

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  28. Agger can also play as left back.

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  29. Kolo Toure was injured at the time and Agger was going through injury problems as well

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  30. That may be the case but I think judgement should wait until the end of the season. Only then can we have all the relevant statistics.

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  31. I actually said Rodgers should send him on loan, to SWANSEA (!!!) if possible over the summer and got mocked on around here.

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  32. I can't see him getting game time ahead of routs dyer or Pablo plus we have two promising wingers in our u21 who could do with game time probably not a good idea for him to come here tho he would be welcome

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