UPDATE: David Ornstein from the BBC is reporting that Sterling will have his medical tomorrow morning and will likely fly to Australia later in the same day to join up with the squad in Australia. He is set to sign a five-year contract.
Manchester City have tonight reportedly agreed a deal to sign Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling for a fee believed to be in the region of £49 million. Contract negotiations and personal terms still need to be agreed.
In what has been a continuous transfer saga culminating over several months, the Blues seem to have finally come to an agreement after having two previous bids rejected by the Merseyside outfit.
Liverpool were intent on their £50 million valuation of Sterling and it seems like they have essentially received that, with £10 million worth of the deal heading to relegated QPR, whom Sterling played for as a teenager before his move north.
Sterling, 20, was left out of Liverpool’s squad as they travelled to Thailand for their pre-season tour, in the hope that an agreement could be made between the two parties. This comes after the winger failed to report for pre-season training due to ‘illness’ earlier in the week.
Perhaps regarded as one of the most sought after young English players of recent years, Sterling’s relationship with Brendan Rodgers and Liverpool has deteriorated after he rejected a new contract earlier this year. This enabled City to pounce and now have a potentially world-class player on their hands.
The England international joined Liverpool from QPR’s youth academy five years ago, and has scored 23 goals in 129 appearances. He has 16 caps for England and has scored one goal for the Three Lions.
News of an agreement for Sterling will be music to the ears of City fans; who have been waiting for a first major summer signing after continuous links with Kevin De Bruyne, Paul Pogba and of course, Sterling.
This is a great piece of business from Txiki Begiristain and sets out a real marker for the new season. Sterling was linked with a move to London (which was supposedly his preferred choice) to join Arsenal, but City have got their man after months of speculation, and this makes the upcoming campaign all the more exciting from a Blue perspective.
Stay with us @TheMaineBlues to keep updated on what is a stirring development.
