Liverpool Transfer News: Raheem Sterling 'Open to Offers' amid Arsenal Rumours

Raheem Sterling and Liverpool seem to have reached an impasse in negotiations about the youngster's new contract, and with the club refusing to cave to the England international's demands, he may be on his way out of Anfield this summer.

Sterling's current contract runs until 2017, but Liverpool are eager to sign their 20-year-old attacking star to a longer deal to ensure his future on Merseyside.

However, according to Jack Pitt-Brooke of The Independent, the Reds will not exceed the £100,000-a-week offer already tabled, despite Sterling's reported demands that he join Daniel Sturridge as Liverpool's highest-paid player on £150,000 per week. 

As a result, Sterling is reportedly "open to offers" from any club willing to meet his demands, and Manchester City and Arsenal have both been linked with the player, per Telegraph Football:

If Sterling does not sign a new contract, Liverpool would certainly receive a higher transfer fee selling him this summer—Chris McKenna quotes a potential £50 million fee in the Daily Star—than if they waited until 2016, when he will have just one year remaining. 

The standoff is not set to be resolved any time soon, however, with Brendan Rodgers recently stating that talks have been put on hold until after the current season is over, per the Daily Mail's Dominic King:

It seems qualification for next season's UEFA Champions League could influence Sterling's eventual decision.

Liverpool are currently struggling in such an endeavour—they sit fifth in the Premier League, five points back from fourth-placed United—but Sterling says he is focused on achieving qualification, per Aaron Flanagan in the Mirror. 

"We’ve been in great form in recent weeks and I am just trying to contribute as much as I can to obviously help the team get into the top four," Sterling said. "But I think we are more than capable of doing that."

Even if Sterling doesn't sign up to a new contract, McKenna actually suggests that Liverpool will look to keep him on anyway.

There is certainly sense in such a move, as he is arguably the best English player in the Premier League at the moment, per B/R UK's Sam Tighe:

However, a refusal from Sterling to sign on to an extended deal would surely strain his relationship with the club and its fans.

Sterling's ongoing transfer saga is not set to be resolved until the summer at the earliest, and there are most certainly big clubs circling should Liverpool look to sell him on.

Failure to keep him on would be a big blow for Liverpool, and it could rest on their participation—or lack thereof—in next season's Champions League.