Arsenal Transfer News: Raheem Sterling Enquiry Made Amid Liverpool Contract Wait

Arsenal are reportedly ready to capitalise on the tumultuous circumstances surrounding Raheem Sterling’s contract wrangle at Liverpool by making an ambitious swoop for the England international this summer.

According to Neil Ashton of the Daily Mail, the 20-year-old is ready to turn down a whopping £180,000-a-week deal at Anfield, and the club faces an enormous struggle to convince the player his long-term future remains on Merseyside. That’s prompted the Gunners into making “discreet enquiries” about the youngster, according to John Cross of the Mirror.

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As noted by Cross, Sterling has already shunned a £90,000-a-week offer from Liverpool, and with little end in sight to this contract debacle, there is apparently a host of massive clubs—including the Gunners, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Manchester City—that have been alerted to the situation.

The youngster has been in patchy form for Liverpool of late after a blistering start to the season but served up a reminder of his undeniable talent for England in their previous outing:

Landing Sterling would be a major coup for the Gunners. While his reputation among many will have been soured by his reportedly rapacious contract demands, he is a wonderfully talented footballer who has the potential to achieve incredible things in the game; as such, it’d be hugely significant should Arsene Wenger lure him to the Emirates.

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But Bundesliga expert Jan Aage Fjortoft thinks some underhand tactics could be at work here that may see the player eventually stay at Liverpool:

To turn down an offer that lucrative would be especially bold from the forward, but according to Ashton, “it is not just financial terms causing an issue.”

Perhaps with so many illustrious names interested in the England man, he feels as though his development would be better served elsewhere, especially with the Reds looking increasingly likely to miss out on the Champions League next season.

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Arsenal would command a certain amount of gravitas for him. After all, Sterling was born in Jamaica, but the majority of his upbringing was in London. According to Cross, the Gunners are hoping their capital location could play a role in signing him.

Wenger’s revered abilities when it comes to developing young stars would also surely be a factor. He's been an unashamed admirer of Sterling in the past too, with the Frenchman labelling the Liverpool star as "one of the great players in England" per Cross' piece.

It’s likely the forward isn’t keen on a long-term stay at Anfield. As noted by former England international Gary Lineker, Sterling cuts a reluctant figure based on reports in the press:

The situation is becoming increasingly precarious for this rising star. He’s already been warned by Liverpool icons that this contract row could potentially sully his reputation with the Anfield faithful, per Sky Sports, and stories like the ones aforementioned will do little to enrich that relationship. But if he signs, reports of turbulence will be quickly forgotten, such is the nature of football supporters.

The longer this wrangle rumbles on, the more confident Arsenal will be of striking a deal. It’d be an enormous statement of intent from Wenger should he land Sterling this summer, and while it is evident he may come at quite a cost, the England international has talent to tap into that'd ensure it’s a premium well worth paying for the Gunners.