Liverpool FC agreed a deal for the player with Manchester City. The Manchester side will acquire the services of the player for A?49m.
This is a record transfer between two Premier League clubs for an English player. And Sterling has now become the 12th most expensive footballer in the history of professional football.
Manchester City have had bids totalling A?35m and A?40m rejected by the Reds, who had said that the Citizens need to match their A?50m valuation of the player.
Sterling made his desire to leave the club pretty clear over the last few months and now that the deal has been almost completed, former players, pundits and fans are having their say.
Jamie Carragher, present Sky pundit and former Liverpool defender said that the player will have plenty of pressure on him at his new club due to his hefty price.
“There will be more scrutiny on him because of the size of the fee,” Carragher told . Sky Sports
“When players go for that much money there is that added pressure. Hea s still a young player a hea s going to have ups and downs. At Liverpool, sometimes he was outstanding, but in the second half of last season he tailed off a bit as all young players do. The same thing will happen at Man City because hea s still only young. That was my argument for him to maybe stay another two or three years at Liverpool, to gain maturity not just as a person but as a player in the performances.
“Now hea s moved there will be more eyes on him, of course, but leta s not forget hea s still a young player. Over the next two or three years hopefully wea ll be talking more about Sterling on the pitch than off it, as we have been the last few months.”
Unlike many who said that Liverpool had done extremely well to “rip Manchester City off” as Sterling was “not worth” the money he was being paid for, Carragher insisted the player had terrific potential and that’s what City were paying for at the moment. The fact that he is English and the club is “desperate” for that, also added to his fee and why Liverpool could demand such a figure for the 20 year-old.
“Therea s no doubt ita s a fantastic fee, but therea s no doubt that Raheem Sterling has the ability and the potential, which is what Man City are buying more than anything at this stage,a he added.
“He could go on and be a fantastic player for club and country.
“In the next three or four years, if Sterling can take City to a couple of Premier League titles, more success in the Champions League, they will say hea s been worth it.
“The fact they dona t have many English players at the club, thata s added to the price.
“Raheem Sterling a at this stage of his career and what hea s done up to now a hea s possibly worth around A?30m.
“I think the extra money comes from the fact that Man City are so desperate for English players, and Liverpool have exploited that.”
