'Bullied' Raheem Sterling 'will ask to quit Liverpool'

Reports on Monday night claimed that England forward Raheem Sterling will tell Liverpool that he sees his future away from Anfield.

The BBC reported that Sterling and his representatives "will meet Reds chief executive Ian Ayre and Rodgers on Friday, when he is set to tell them he wants to go", while Sky claimed that Sterling "does not plan to sign a new deal", no matter what is put in front of him.

Sterling is said to have told Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers in person before the 1-1 draw at Chelsea earlier this month. The player is under contract until 2017 and, if he opts not to sign a new deal, Liverpool will have to decide whether to cash in on one of their most prized assets or risk losing him for nothing at the end of his deal.

For over a year, Sterling has been hailed as one of the greatest young talents in Europe. Aged just 20, he has drawn interest from clubs such as Real Madrid with his fine displays.

And with Liverpool still reeling from the loss of Luis Suarez last summer, Sterling seems to feel that the chance of a Premier League title with the Reds is a very remote.

But the latest reports suggest that it isn't just a matter of a young player wanting to move to a more successful club: Sterling is reportedly feeling "bullied" into signing a new deal, no doubt in reference to Brendan Rodgers publicly describing the tabled offer of £100,000-a-week as "incredible".

Yet while that money - £5 million a year - is vast, there is no doubt that Sterling could command at least as much at any of Europe's top clubs.

Furthermore, Sky reported that Sterling feels that Liverpool "have failed to protect him from negative headlines."

On that score, Liverpool are on solid ground: the two biggest controversies surrounding Sterling over the past 12 months revolve around unguarded comments by England manager Roy Hodgson, and Sterling's own decision to give an unsanctioned interview to the BBC earlier this year outlining his feelings. Neither were things that Liverpool had any control over.

[STERLING'S CONTROVERSIAL INTERVIEW: Raheem Sterling interview: Liverpool fans hit out at 'massively overrated' star]

[LFC ANGER: Liverpool 'infuriated by Raheem Sterling's BBC interview']

[HODGSON'S BLUNDER: ]

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher had some stern words for Sterling: "I'd be embarrassed to walk into training tomorrow and show my face to everyone. I wouldn’t want to go in. I wouldn’t want to show my face.

“For a 20-year-old kid to be taking on Liverpool over a contract…to the pit of my stomach that just winds me up and angers me. Raheem Sterling will obviously move.”

Departing Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard urged Sterling not to follow him out of the Anfield exit this weekend, but those pleas are likely to fall on deaf ears.

"My advice to Raheem is he needs a manager who is going to play him, to coach him, to believe in him," said Gerrard.

"I think there is no one better for him than Brendan Rodgers.

"I think he should sign a new deal. Brendan is a fantastic man manager, he puts a lot of time and effort into every player in the squad.

"The danger for younger players is they want it all too soon and go to another club and just become a number."

The truth is that Raheem Sterling probably burnt his bridges when he gave his interview to the BBC at the start of April.

What's more, it's perfectly possible that he fully intended to do so. Intended or not, the net result of all this is that by making himself a stone in Liverpool's shoe, he has made it far easier for the club to give in to his demands to leave.

While it's all pretty distasteful, we're not inclined to judge Sterling harshly over his refusal of a £100,000 a week deal. He is a valuable commodity, and what he earns is no more (or less) obscene than Justin Bieber or One Direction making millions as they cash in on their popularity.

It's also difficult to argue that he ought to stay at Liverpool for the sake of his development. As Martin Lawrence pointed out in a blog just three weeks ago, Rodgers has utterly failed to develop and improve his players over the past 12 months.

As for his clear desire to go to a club that is in contention to win the biggest trophies, including the Champions League? That is probably the biggest factor in Sterling's desire to leave - and the most understandable factor as well. Liverpool look a long way behind Chelsea, Arsenal and the two Manchester sides - and given their difficulties retaining their best players, it's almost impossible to see them attracting the personnel they'd need to close that gap any time soon.