Liverpool Transfer News: Raheem Sterling Tipped to Leave Reds Within 2 Years

Raheem Sterling won't be a Liverpool player in two years' time. That's the view of ex-Fulham star turned pundit Rodney Marsh.

He expressed the view, one that's likely to provoke strong feelings, during an interview with talkSport:

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I know I am going to get pelted by Liverpool supporters but I don’t see Raheem Sterling being a Liverpool player in the next two years.

I think he will leave Liverpool and go to a really top club.

I think Sterling is so good, and if he is playing with the right players, at the right level, he could go on to be a top, super player.

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At least Marsh is aware of the controversy his words are sure to generate among Liverpool's supporters. The idea that Liverpool aren't still a top club within the game is unlikely to be greeted too kindly.

The club has been lying dormant to some extent, at least in terms of winning a league title. That was standard practice during the 80s, but Liverpool last ruled England's top flight in 1990.

However, the club still bears a name synonymous with prestige. There have been successes since 1990, most notably the capture of a fifth European Cup under Rafael Benitez in 2005.

Missing out on UEFA Champions League football in the years following the transition from the Benitez era certainly put a dent in Liverpool's standing. Yet Marsh's comments about Sterling aren't solely a critique about Liverpool's status within football's modern era.

They also speak to Sterling's growing reputation as one of the game's brightest young stars. That's a reputation cultivated at Anfield.

Under the tutelage of manager Brendan Rodgers, Sterling has gone from pacy winger to versatile attacking threat. He's now as creative as he is quick and direct, no matter if he plays wide or through the middle.

Tom Hevezi/Associated Press

His versatility and understanding have separated Sterling from many players in his age range and more than a few above it, as FourFourTwo writer Jonathan Fadugba has noted:

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Sterling’s precocious tactical understanding is another element of his game that shouldn’t go unappreciated. He can play on either flank or at the tip of a midfield diamond, excelling there for club to the point where Roy Hodgson is now considering Sterling for that position for his country, ahead of Wayne Rooney.

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Those qualities have been invaluable to a team Rodgers has shaped to try to make Liverpool relevant at the highest level again. Sterling was a key part of the squad that finished second in the Premier League last season.

That earned re-entry into the Champions League alongside the "top clubs" Marsh was presumably referencing. Sterling has been a big part of that success, and Rodgers likely needs him to stay to keep Liverpool in the Champions League bracket.

The problem is the more Sterling thrives, in the process helping rebuild Liverpool as a force at the top level, the more he'll be coveted. Among the currently reported interested parties are three of the biggest names in European football, per Daily Express writer Anthony Chapman:

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Liverpool are believed to be offering Sterling a five-year-deal with wages nearing £100,000-per-week, but the Reds are aware the situation is being closely monitored by European heavyweights Real Madrid and Paris St-Germain.

It has been claimed that Sterling is open to a move away from Anfield in the near future, and it has even been reported by some outlets that Premier League rivals Chelsea have now thrown their hat in the ring.

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All three of these clubs boast squads brimming with the kind of marquee stars a talent of Sterling's standing apparently needs around him. The chance to work alongside players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Cesc Fabregas may be too tempting for Sterling to resist.

It's here where Marsh's argument may have some merit. Simply put, since selling Luis Suarez to FC Barcelona this summer, Liverpool lack a truly world-class player.

Admittedly, any club would find it hard to replace a madcap genius like Suarez. But Rodgers' initial efforts to compensate do look particularly underwhelming, at least at the moment.

The Anfield chief has loaded his team with too many new faces. The likes of Lazar Markovic, Rickie Lambert and Mario Balotelli are already struggling to make the grade while the manager decides what his best team is.

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

So much change has been impacting Liverpool's fortunes. The Red are currently ninth in the Premier League with 10 points and three defeats already in the rear view.

That's hardly top-four form. But it is the kind of form that could get a player like Sterling dreaming of pastures new.

Much will depend on how the next few months unfold. Sterling has developed well at Liverpool, where he has a manager who trusts him and gives him license to fully express himself on the pitch.

Sterling can't be sure he'd find that elsewhere. But if Liverpool are still floundering outside the Champions League spots come the new year, don't be surprised if the exit talk grows louder.