Raheem Sterling (Liverpool -> Man City)

We won't loose him to nothing. Any player signed under the age of 24 has to have compensation paid to the loosing club. The level of that compensation is determined by an independent tribunal. We won't get £50 million for him but we'd still make a profit. I think right now the best thing for him to do is shut his and his agent's gob and focus on his football. There's far too much being leaked to the media from his camp.

Did you read the F***ing link?

The Webster ruling allows players to buy themselves out of their existing contract when there's 18 months left on his contract, meaning he pays us just over £2m in December and then goes where the F**k he wants in the Januray window.

He says in the BBC interview that he'll give us an answer as soon as the season's over.  If he's not signing he must be sold in the summer or we lose any fee.

 

RAHEEM, lad, stop messing

Throwback to five years ago, and Raheem Sterling — shy and self-conscious — was fidgeting around in his suit from Next as he waited to collect an award. He was 15, had no media experience, and was terrified of having to make an acceptance speech on stage. Last May, he was in the spotlight again after being named Liverpool’s Young Player of the Year, but this time, the nerves were benched.
In an interview with me, Phil Roscoe the assistant manager of the club’s academy, admitted that small shift was an important as the Usain Bolt strides Sterling was making on the pitch.
“I remember he was nominated as St Helens Young Elite Sport Performer of the Year, so we went to buy him a suit from Next for the ceremony,” Roscoe detailed. “He won and because he was still in school, he did no media whatsoever, but he was so nervous about going up and collecting the trophy.
“I had a little flashback to that moment when he won the LFC award. I just think it’s great to see a player develop on the field, but even more so, it’s lovely to see them develop off the field. In my role, that gives me just as much joy as watching one of our academy players run out at Anfield for the first team.”
This vignette is on repeat in my mind when those two menacing words — ‘contract talks’ — wait until I’m off the ropes just to left-hook me again. I analyse how far Sterling has come, the unbelievable support and platform he has received, how much he still has packed away in his top drawer and I can’t fathom why we’re all stood outside in the pissing rain, getting drenched for no reason.
“Liverpool is the best place for his development.” Scan the press and those words are as popular as One Direction right now. Even those suggesting Sterling is right to hold off any decision to ‘concentrate on football’ agree that the forward will not get the extent of care and opportunity  he has in L4 anywhere else.

Yet, here we all are, looking stupid and soaking wet, trying to figure all this out.
£180,000 a week. One hundred and eighty thousand sweet, sexy pounds a week. That is the figure Sterling is apparently willing to drop the shoulder on should Liverpool count all the pennies and place them on table. That’s the latest from the Daily Mail. Along with the Mirror, they claim it’s not about the money for the attacker, but about concern he won’t be a central figure in Brendan Rodgers’ side.
You messing?
Are you F***ing messing?
Stop messing!
The first and very important factor to note is how the storyline has shifted. Initially, the argument was that Sterling — as one of Europe’s foremost talents — should command a fee in line with Daniel Sturridge’s package of £150,000 a week. Real Madrid were knocking. Bayern Munich were at the door. Now, after a few stints in the wing-back role, the plot is one of mistrust in tactics and value. Arsenal have entered the imaginary race, with Manchester City ready and waiting to bulldoze in. Soon, Chelsea will be sat with iPad and a coffee ‘monitoring the situation.’
This is what I’d term an agent-da. A news cycle dictated by the player’s representatives to sound out potential suitors, to stir Liverpool supporters, to light a flame under the club’s arse, and to play to the ego or pocket of their client. The recent stream of information has been very one-sided. Rodgers shared the official line: the trickster has been offered an incredible deal, no silly ransom money will be switching hands, and a decision will be made by Sterling in the summer. All the more extreme new developments to the situation reported since have not come from the club or those journalists on the Merseyside beat. That should tell you everything.

Liverpool will not make an offer for £180,ooo a week for Sterling to turn down. It smashes the highest wage bracket at the club and drops its pants in the face of everything they are trying to do financially and ethically. That money for a 20-year-old is, well, a bit Macaulay Culkin isn’t it? Too much, too soon, too indulged, too too too…
The club’s offer — around £100,000 a week — has already been viewed as excessive in some quarters, with Rodgers terming it “an incredible deal for a young player” and Liverpool’s generosity will definitely not germinate to the farcical. To put the zeros into context: Harry Kane, the Premier League’s breakthrough player this season, earns less than Sterling’s current package, banking around £30,000, with Adnan Januzaj on the same fee. Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain sits on a reported £65,000 a week.
That £150,000 Raheem’s agents were pushing for? It’s more than both Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Özil — the latter a World Cup winner — earn over at the Emirates.

Please don’t shout “GIVE HIM WHAT HE WANTS,” it doesn’t work that way. When Luke Shaw, at 19, was understood to be demanding £120,000 a week, Chelsea slammed the door. Jose Mourinho suggested the club would have been “dead” had they ceded to those demands. He argued senior players on a lesser package but with greater service to the club, would have questioned the basis of agreeing to such a salary, leading to an imbalance not welcomed at Stamford Bridge. Other talented youngsters would want the same benefits and bang their feet. When he’s not throwing darts at Sky Sports pundits or imagining Loch Ness monster-size conspiracies, he speaks some sense does Jose.
Now that we’ve hopefully tackled how ridiculous the money aspect of all this is, what about Sterling’s importance to the club and his ambitions then? You’d swear Sterling has been tied up hands behind his back, tape over his mouth at wing-back all of this season. If you check Twitter, or recent articles, you’d be forgiven for thinking that’s actually been the case. It’s suddenly gospel.
From the Daily Mail: “Sterling, who has turned down a number of offers from Liverpool, believes his best position is in the three forward positions and is becoming increasingly concerned about his position at wing-back.” Increasingly concerned? We need to head back to stop messing avenue!

First: Sterling’s tactical intelligence is the premier asset that sets him apart from most pacy young players. Yeah, they can run pretty quick and beat a man, but what else have they got? Well, Sterling’s locker is spilling over and he needs to be very grateful to Rodgers, who could so easily have jailed him on the right flank. “It was clear in training that he didn’t have to be pigeon-holed into a winger. When he played wide, he was very comfortable coming inside, so that was a good sign,” said the Reds boss last year. “He has great instincts, balance and a reading of the game.”
Sterling has played forward on both wings, at right back, at the tip of the diamond, as an auxiliary forward… Practically everywhere his skill set allows, and it is this excelled adaptability that will woo Europe’s powerhouses — not an agent-da.
Jordon Ibe’s unfortunate injury has meant that Europe’s Golden Boy has been stationed at wing-back against Blackburn in the FA Cup, Burnley and Manchester United in the league. Like his gifted teammate, the idea is that Sterling’s quick feet has more of the field to run into from deep. One of his other key selling points — his work ethic, is also summoned more in that role.

We’d all love to rather see Raheem in the forward positions — where he’s been for the majority of the campaign, and hopefully those minutes Jon Flanagan got in the All-Stars charity match means he’s dead close to Liverpool’s starting XI. What Sterling wants has temporarily warmed the pine for what the side needs, but still his positional acumen — over most else — is held in the highest regard across the continent.
Again, he has Rodgers to thank for that. Sterling knows it too. “The manager has blooded a lot of young players like myself and Jordon. He puts you in at the deep end and it seems like at that moment you are ready,” he said. “Every young player is getting a chance when they show they are working hard on the training pitch and that is credit to the manager for giving them the chance to shine at the highest level.”
Sterling’s opportunities dwarf that of Kane and Januzaj. He’s played well more than Shaw. Only ‘Ox’, who is a year older and had League One experience with Southampton before joining Arsenal, is in the same ballpark of appearances as the Reds ace. Opportunity is everything as a youngster and Raheem’s practically been given the keys to the city.
Sterling’s a great kid; polite and reserved, he still keeps in touch with all his old academy teammates and the staff. He excites the fans and is a treat for the technical team. It would be a shame for things to spin out of control due to poor guidance or misplaced priorities.
Rodgers previously stated: “Players are always replaceable. It doesn’t matter how good they think they are.” Sterling should sign the inflated offer already on the table while he’s still a main character on a stage and in a spotlight that suits him. The grass is not always greener on the other side, it’s greener where you water it.
@MelissaReddy_


http://www.theanfieldwrap.com/2015/03/raheem-sterling-leaving-liverpool-would-be-a-big-mistake/

Did you read the f**king link?

The Webster ruling allows players to buy themselves out of their existing contract when there's 18 months left on his contract, meaning he pays us just over £2m in December and then goes where the f**k he wants in the Januray window.

He says in the BBC interview that he'll give us an answer as soon as the season's over.  If he's not signing he must be sold in the summer or we lose any fee.

1. Don't ever swear at me. Understood? I posted nothing deserving of being sworn at.

2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_transfer_%28association_football%29

The club acquiring the player does not have to pay any compensation for their release due to having nothing left to pay on their contract, hence, the term free transfer. Some individual leagues have restrictions to protect academies. For example, in the UK, players under 24 who are out of contract are only available on a free transfer if released by the club holding the players' licence.

Another type of free transfer is when a player is transferred from one club to another for no price, sometimes a transfer for a nominal fee is credited as a free transfer.

With six months or less remaining on an existing contract for players aged 23 or older, they are free to negotiate with other clubs and sign a pre-contract agreement, indicating their ability to move to their intended club on a Bosman transfer once the next transfer window opens.

Quite clearly the two cannot be reconciled based upon the Wiki information and since neither you nor I are a legal expert in English Football law, there's some correlation that we're not privy to.

Know very little about this case mate, but I know more than enough about "negotiations" with one of the current LFC players and what pressure and dastardly tactics FSG used to force the player sign in a dotted line. Bas**rds

name names or are you just the usual mate of a mate whose seconds cousin used to know the tea lady's son, can't stand all this cloak and dagger sh*t.

I really think he's off from reading that. He wants to join a bigger club, a club that's full of world class players and challenging title and cups.

mmm, don't see any clubs who fit that category interested in him

  Sterling, who has two years left on a contract that gives him £35,000 a week, confirms he had already turned down a deal worth £100,000 a week.

This is the interesting bit to me. I think the key words are "deal worth," which seems to indicate a base salary + incentives that cap off at £100k as opposed to a straight £100k wage.

mmm, don't see any clubs who fit that category interested in him

I think if he's legit on his way out, you'll see City, Chelsea and Arsenal, for example, in for him. I get the feeling a lot of clubs are monitoring the situation.

BBC1 news are running an interview with him in a few moments.

If we could get these oily fuckers out, it would be better than winning the Champions Lge AND Premier League. TWICE.

Cue response from the Fenwaygimps...

I am by no means a 'fenway gimp' but that is one of the most hyperbolic statements I've ever heard.

1. Don't ever swear at me. Understood? I posted nothing deserving of being sworn at.

2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_transfer_%28association_football%29

Quite clearly the two cannot be reconciled based upon the Wiki information and since neither you nor I are a legal expert in English Football law, there's some correlation that we're not privy to.

I'm not talking about a "free transfer", nor is the Webster ruling.

This is the interesting bit to me. I think the key words are "deal worth," which seems to indicate a base salary + incentives that cap off at £100k as opposed to a straight £100k wage.

Been drumming this for a little while now. Its just sir James Pearce, telling the world Sterlings asks for 150k while the club offers 100k a week. Its all bollix.

To earn 100 thousands grand a week on offer, Sterrling would need to win the PL, FA Cup, Champions League and lift the Ballon Dor trophy to earn that dosh. Im off anyway, believe your FSG dream.

Not unless he's planning on this.  I hope our legal teams realise that if we don't sell him in the summer and he doesn't sign an extension, we could lose him for nothing next January.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webster_ruling

Our Club could end up more fu**ed up than under H&G if there isn't a rethink on our contracts.

debs, to be honest, the prospect of sterling or most top players doing a webster is pretty remote, buying out your contract is pretty extreme  and pretty expensive too.

debs, to be honest, the prospect of sterling or most top players doing a webster is pretty remote, buying out your contract is pretty extreme  and pretty expensive too.

But that's the point mate, for Raheem it isn't expensive because he's on such a low wage.  Just over £2m to be able to choose where he goes is peanuts. 

1. Don't ever swear at me. Understood? I posted nothing deserving of being sworn at.

Oh give me a break. Please tell me you aren't going to go Internet commando on Debs?  x 1,000,000,000,000,000

Well if the boy wants out flog him,I,have no problem with this at all but,really hoped he would stay and bang in the goals and become of what Brendan is trying to achieve.
Just hope he isn't making a massive mistake in thinking the grass is greener elsewhere and end up on the bench with splinters in his arse.
Such a shame it's beginning to look this way because he is a talent that is of no doubt,but,nowhere near the finished article by a mile.
Looks like a case of agents spinning the lads head.shame.
Bit as manuel pellegrini said £100 mill isn't to shabby.every cloud and all that.

Well I've just heard it from his own mouth, it's not about money, we could offer him any ammount of money now and he says he won't be rushed into signing!
I think the writing's on the wall, he wants out!
He is a young man who has had problems in the past, I hope for his sake his agent is looking out for Raheem and his best interests, I have to say I have my doubts.
He also said that if he'd been offered a new contract earlier he'd have signed and for a lot less!

I'm not talking about a "free transfer", nor is the Webster ruling.

I don't understand. You're not talking about the Webster ruling but posted a link to the Webster ruling? Was it the wrong link? You're not making much sense, I'm sorry.

Here's the extended interview with him: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32143181

Well after hearing the interview its one of two things for me, he is either

A. Being very badly advised or.

B. Is a first class tw*t.

The points thagt stick out for me, " if they would of offered me the contract last year I would of signed it " errrr thats because we were challenging for title, maybe if you had scored a few more goals and not gone missing in games or F***ing off on holiday we may be a little higher in the league.

But that being flattered at Arsenals interest got my blood boiling, you are at Liverpool you disrespectful little tw*t Arsenal will be a step down in class. FFS goes to prove that footballers are right royal thick tw*ts.

But that being flattered at Arsenals interest

That is the part that got me right there.

He is gone. Sad thing is , it will be to a PL rival club. Hopefully not red mancs.

I think he's being a snide there. Blatantly putting it all on other people's toes to take the heat off himself.

I would have signed if they'd done it all last year? You had three years left on the other contract that you and your agent arsed about on.

And then saying how flattered he is by Arsenal interest two days before a crunch match against them?

Not coming out well from this in my eyes.

I don't think he'll end up at Arsenal, more likely Chelsea.

Doesn't come across very well for me either, but I have to say once again we (LFC) don't come across too well, looking short sighted, we should have been looking to tie him up to a bigger contract last year following his performances, instead we let him get into this position of power and call the shots and ask for stupid money.

As for the Arsenal comments, terribly timed and he should be dismissing them out of hand.

Says he doesn't want to come across a a greedy 20 year old, but reading that it is exactly what he comes across as and I'm being as objective as possible when I say that.

Doesn't come across very well for me either, but I have to say once again we (LFC) don't come across too well, looking short sighted, we should have been looking to tie him up to a bigger contract last year following his performances, instead we let him get into this position of power and call the shots and ask for stupid money.

As for the Arsenal comments, terribly timed and he should be dismissing them out of hand.

Says he doesn't want to come across a a greedy 20 year old, but reading that it is exactly what he comes across as and I'm being as objective as possible when I say that.

The thing is Willy not soon after the season started (in an off-season when we were dealing with Luis a World Cup and a host of new players) we approached him wanting to do a new contract...and ever since then it has been back and forth.

It's not like we have not tried to lock him up early.