Raheem Sterling Contract to Rival Daniel Sturridge Amid Real Madrid Rumours

Raheem Sterling is set to receive a bumper contract extension to rival the £150,000 earned per week by his Liverpool team-mate Daniel Sturridge.

Sterling's future continues to be the subject of much speculation, as rumours insist Real Madrid are preparing to swoop for the talented forward, per Nick Miller of The Guardian.

Brendan Rodgers has tried to play down the urgency of offering a new contract, but it seems talks have already begun between the player and his club, reported by Tony Barrett of The Times:

David Maddock of the Mirror believes Sterling's current £50,000-per-week salary will at least be doubled. He suggests the Reds will make the deal "heavily incentivised" to take it closer to £150,000, perhaps underlining their seriousness of batting away any foreign interest.

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Rodgers remains relaxed over the situation and is working hard to downplay any suggestion Sterling could be snapped up by Los Blancos. When asked how sure he is that the player wishes to remain at Anfield, Rodgers responded, "Absolutely adamant." His full quotes were reported by Maddock:

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I don’t think there is anything other than that [Sterling staying]. His agent is a good agent and he understands this is the perfect place for him. It’s not a big issue for us. Ian Ayre has spoken with his representatives and he is quite relaxed. The club is dealing with the agent so everything is calm.

"

The manager's comments come after former Liverpool captain Jamie Carragher publicly told Sterling's agent to stop fuelling coverage:

Rodgers continued by indicating Sterling is "remarkably happy" and that he possesses "no secondary thoughts about anything else other than continuing to play for Liverpool." His "development" and "growth" is alluded to, as he suggests Sterling isn't perhaps ready for a big-money move to the Bernabeu, per Maddock.

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The Liverpool boss certainly has a problem on his hands. He doesn't wish to overuse the 19-year-old and it's extremely important Sterling is afforded decent rest, particularly with European club football and international involvement now on his schedule.

Unfortunately, Liverpool lacked any sort of energy or attacking quality during the one match in which he was afforded a break—the 1-0 home loss to Aston Villa—meaning Rodgers was lambasted for leaving arguably his most important forward out.

Major importance has already been placed on Sterling's shoulders, as defined by the fact he has scored or assisted 50 percent of the team's 10 Premier League goals so far, per WhoScored.com.

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Rodgers has missed chances to rest the player over recent matches—the 120-minute Capital One Cup tie with Middlesbrough standing out as a key opportunity—suggesting the manager is wary of letting such quality fester, even for the slightest of moments.

Sturridge's return from injury could see Rodgers given a little more leeway here. The Englishman's reappearance should add extra zest to an attack that has been struggling for momentum now Mario Balotelli is planted through the centre. Neither he nor Rickie Lambert have scored a Premier League goal this season and desperately need the help of Sturridge and Sterling to find their mark.

Even so, Rodgers believes young players are destined to become complacent after signing lucrative deals, per Neil Ashton of the Daily Mail. Sterling's rise has been rapid and it is vital not to place too much pressure on his shoulders just yet. That said, his current earnings are perhaps disproportionate to his importance at Anfield, particularly now Luis Suarez has moved on.

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A difficult situation presents itself, as Liverpool's contract offer needs to sufficiently reward the player while also telling him there's plenty of room for improvement. Should Madrid's interest be legitimate, president Florentino Perez won't have any problem offering Sterling the world from the off.

News of negotiations between Liverpool and the player will certainly fill supporters with optimism. Madrid almost always land their targets when interest becomes serious, so a new deal should keep Sterling at arm's length for the time being at least.

Rodgers is doomed when giving the player responsibility and doomed when he doesn't right now, a situation which only serves to highlight just how vital Sterling has become to Liverpool's chances of success.