Liverpool attacker Raheem Sterling continues to stall on signing a new contract, and the latest development this week is confirmation that Real Madrid are definitely interesting in sealing a deal to take the 'wonderful' youngster to the Bernabeu. For many fans, that will be bad news, but for me, it's the best news possible as it means that the Reds may be close to dumping another money-grabbing mercenary on the Anfield scrap-heap.
When asked this week about Madrid's interest, Los Blancos legend Zinedine Zidane confirmed:
“We [Madrid] are monitoring him [Sterling]. It makes sense [to] monitor the best young players in the world [and] if we feel they have something to offer, we will contact their club and try and make the next step.”
My views on this issue are well established: I couldn't care less if Liverpool sell Sterling, and I'd be happy to see the Reds flog him to Real Madrid for an extortionate amount of money.
Reds fans are increasingly peddling the myth that Sterling is somehow 'irreplaceable', and that he has 'carried' Liverpool this season, but with the greatest respect, that's just revisionist nonsense. Consider the following facts:
* 17 games without a goal between Sep 20th and December 17th.
* ONE goal in the last 11 games. When it matters most, Sterling disappears.
* 3 assists in the last 25 games.
* 3 goals in the last 24 Premier League games.
And this is worth £150K+ a week? No chance. If Madrid want to pay Sterling that amount of money then let them get on with it. Liverpool will easily survive without the young attacker, whose average goals/assists ratio is exceedingly easy to replace.
Some will argue that Zidane's comments legitimise Sterling's salary demands, and I have no doubt that his agent is using the comments to put even more pressure on Liverpool.
However, it works both ways; according to Zidane, Sterling is one of the 'best young players in the world', and his comments could conceivably help to inflate Sterling's eventual transfer fee, which will ultimately end up benefiting the club.
After all, Liverpool have every right to demand a stupid fee for one of the world's 'best' young players, right?
Author: Jaimie K
When asked this week about Madrid's interest, Los Blancos legend Zinedine Zidane confirmed:
“We [Madrid] are monitoring him [Sterling]. It makes sense [to] monitor the best young players in the world [and] if we feel they have something to offer, we will contact their club and try and make the next step.”
My views on this issue are well established: I couldn't care less if Liverpool sell Sterling, and I'd be happy to see the Reds flog him to Real Madrid for an extortionate amount of money.
Reds fans are increasingly peddling the myth that Sterling is somehow 'irreplaceable', and that he has 'carried' Liverpool this season, but with the greatest respect, that's just revisionist nonsense. Consider the following facts:
* 17 games without a goal between Sep 20th and December 17th.
* ONE goal in the last 11 games. When it matters most, Sterling disappears.
* 3 assists in the last 25 games.
* 3 goals in the last 24 Premier League games.
And this is worth £150K+ a week? No chance. If Madrid want to pay Sterling that amount of money then let them get on with it. Liverpool will easily survive without the young attacker, whose average goals/assists ratio is exceedingly easy to replace.
Some will argue that Zidane's comments legitimise Sterling's salary demands, and I have no doubt that his agent is using the comments to put even more pressure on Liverpool.
However, it works both ways; according to Zidane, Sterling is one of the 'best young players in the world', and his comments could conceivably help to inflate Sterling's eventual transfer fee, which will ultimately end up benefiting the club.
After all, Liverpool have every right to demand a stupid fee for one of the world's 'best' young players, right?
Author: Jaimie K
If they paid 34 m for Isco
ReplyDelete34m for Illermendi
Bale 90m
i want at least 58m for Sterling not 26m
or 42m + Jese Rodrigueze ( the Spanish one not Colombian)
so we have an instant replacement
with 42m+ jese
ReplyDeletewe could also sign Morata,
with that money
.........................................Sturridge
.....Jese.......................................................Morata
Looks perfect to me
Considering how Madrid usually aim to buy foreign players who are marketable, Sterling doesn't stand a chance. He does jack squat for England and apart from Liverpool fans nobody gives two sh*ts about him. He can keep dreaming.
ReplyDeleteWe could do well to sign big team players who are at the cusp:
ReplyDeleteJese Rodrigueze
Sergio Roberto
Montoya (hopefully alves signs)
Mohamed Salah
Sell Sterling for a world record fee for a 20 year old and buy Depay!
ReplyDeleteWhatever we sell him for I wouldn't trust Rodgers to spend it wisely. £200m+ spent so far and the only players we'd make a profit on are Coutinho and Sturridge.
ReplyDeleteAdmittedly, his comments are not really worth much in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteZidane was asked a question. If he said they weren't aware of his progress, it would have been either a lie or admittance of gross negligence.
I doubt that this really matters all that much to LFC. If I were LFC, I'd call Sterling's bluff and tell him that he has permission to talk with Real, and then it can be confirmed that their interest in nothing more than due diligence.
He's not going there to start and he wouldn't be one of the first off the bench, so they won't invest upwards of 25m to train him.
I'm sure Martin Oddegarrd, or whatever his name is, is on 70 grand a week. How old is he again?
ReplyDeleteIsco is a far superior player to Sterling.
ReplyDeleteThat's really scary. Though we were going to make a small profit on Borini if he went to Sunderland last summer.
ReplyDeleteBut still, with the whole transfer policy of "buy young and increase value", it's not really working out.
Good shout
ReplyDeleteWhere in England is Madrid?
ReplyDeleteCan't wait until this saga is over, getting tiresome. He either signs up on a deal at end of season with terms offered or we just sell him. As long as this is resolved not too long after season is over, it should give us time if necessary to get a bidding war to push the price higher. Hopefully we then have a good chance to reinvest in proven quality. If he stays, signs and puts this behind him all good as well. Just sort it, don't let it drag its heels any longer.
ReplyDelete16.
ReplyDeleteFor a few millions less. Or more..
ReplyDeleteThe general spin has been to downgrade Sterling's importance. Reality is that he's our most creative and effective attacker. That's a terrible indictment on the club, that your rookie is the most effective player
ReplyDeleteI think he'll stay and end up with a contract riddled with clauses. By the way, I felt he was England's stand out player in the last world cup that's remarkable progress.
Paint it however you want if he continues this rate of improvement he'll be a superstar. The type we could never afford to buy.
the problem with this is not can we replace sterling now because clearly we can replace his goals and assists at the moment, its the player he could become thats the issue.. sterling is looking for what he is potentially worth rather then what he is worth now which is ridiculous but the club dont want to lose him either not for the player he is now but how good he might become and thats where the deadlock is, if he was 26 or 27 hed be gone in a heartbeat or would have signed a deal worth 70 k a week in a heartbeat but hes just turned 20 and its what he could become thats causing both sides to be frustrated.. its all moot anyway cause i think hes made his mind up to go and the club to sell him, just drumming up the price is all and trying to make out they have control when with 2 years left on his deal they have zero.. fsg wont sign proven talent they say they want to use the academy but when the brightest talent since gerrard comes out of it they let his deal run down and sell to the highest bidder, its a money making policy not a footballing one, should have been offered a new deal last summer when as sterling said he wud have signed for alot lower wages (stevie said something similar) but fsg would rather get one more year from him on low wages and now hes making silly demands because he wants to go and is deliberately trying to price himself out of a new deal because of that imo.. wouldnt be surprised if he signed for another club for the 100 k he rejected from us
ReplyDelete