Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling is expected to tell the club he wants a move away from Anfield this summer. Sterling told Brendan Rodgers he wants to go before the Chelsea game on 10 May and will now meet the Reds manager and chief executive Ian Ayre on Friday. It is understood Liverpool want to keep Sterling, whose deal ends in 2017.

Sterling – whose current contract is worth £35,000 a week – said in an interview with news outlet BBC on 1 April that he “talks about winning trophies” rather than money. Liverpool’s last piece of silverware came in 2012, when they won the League Cup, and they have missed out on Champions League qualification for next season.

Several authoritative voices and pundits have expressed their own opinions on the 20 year old’s decision. Outgoing captain Steven Gerrard told Sterling to stay and play for a coach who “believes in him”.
“I think there is no-one better for him than Brendan Rodgers,” said Gerrard, who is making a move to LA Galaxy after almost 2 decades at Liverpool.

Brendan Rodgers will be disappointed by Sterling’s demand to leave and he will feel a genuine sense of disappointment after nurturing the youngster and giving him his chance of regular football as a teenager. He has also previously said: “Liverpool are one of the superpowers of football and if the owners don’t want to sell, they don’t have to.”

Should he be made available, Manchester City remain the frontrunners for his signature but Arsenal and a number of leading European clubs have also expressed an interest. Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has however refused to state clearly whether he would make a move for Sterling.