Manchester City will go back to Liverpool with a second, increased bid for Raheem Sterling closer to their £50m-plus asking price, after an initial £30m offer was rejected this week.
The Anfield club are not as trenchantly opposed to a sale as two summers ago when Luis Suarez agitated to leave, but the indication from Merseyside last night was that Sterling is valued at more than £50m. City, whose first bid was £25m plus add-ons, are waiting to discover how much freedom to spend Uefa's relaxed financial fair play rules will allow.
They may not find competition as fierce as has been feared. Real Madrid, who have been touted as potential buyers, feel that the drop in Sterling's form since he was engulfed by contractual controversy calls into question Liverpool's £50m valuation. There is uncertainty at the Bernabeu as to whether Sterling has the mental strength to make a success of a career with Real at this moment, though the Spaniards reason that buying him would not constitute a severe financial risk with a potential high resale value to the Premier League.
Manchester United may enter the fray, though there has been no sense from Old Trafford that Sterling is at the front of their minds either. But it is an open secret that City, who have lost James Milner to Liverpool, are in desperate need of homegrown players and that will be a negotiating factor for Liverpool. The Anfield club have not entirely given up hope of keeping Sterling, but that is starting to look slim. – The Independent