Liverpool Transfer News: Raheem Sterling Sparks Arsenal and Chelsea Rumours

Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling "is preparing to put his Merseyside house on the market," according to Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail. More interestingly, Mokbel believes the England international has "begun looking for a new property in London, fuelling talk of a potential move to Arsenal or Chelsea."

Sterling was originally based in London with Queens Park Rangers, but he moved north in 2010 when Liverpool signed him up. Talk over his future has overshadowed the latter part of the Reds' season, with reports suggesting he has turned down £100,000 per week to remain at Anfield, per Natalie Pirks of BBC Sport.

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Mokbel suggests both Arsenal and Chelsea possess an "active interest" in Sterling, whose season has been defined by wildly varying form. He has scored seven in 34 Premier League appearances, per Soccerway, fulfilling a variation of roles for Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers, but he's remained unproductive in recent weeks. It's possible continued speculation has turned his concentration elsewhere.

Sterling is a top young talent, though. His natural pace, dribbling skill and surprisingly bullish nature make him an enticing prospect for potential suitors. The 20-year-old needs to work on his final product—having missed plenty of simple chances this season—but he's showing all the signs of developing into a world-class player.

However, B/R UK's Stan Collymore has warned the starlet he has a long way to go:

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is well-stacked on the wings. He already chooses between Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez, Danny Welbeck, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain when all are fit, so there's no guarantee Sterling would be an instant starter at the Emirates Stadium.

The same can be said for Jose Mourinho's Chelsea, who captured the Premier League trophy with Eden Hazard and Willian offering a tremendous amount of running down the flanks. Juan Cuadrado was signed in January and has so far failed to make a positive impression. There's room for Sterling in the squad, but he'd need to up his all-around game if he's to knock the hard-working Willian out of the side.

Liverpool legend Phil Thompson believes Liverpool's failure to secure Champions League football will see Sterling move on. He spoke to Sky Sports: "I think it will be very difficult for him to stay at Liverpool now. He's shown all the signs that he’s ready and prepared to leave the club."

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Rodgers may be tempted to cash in. He needs to make some headline-grabbing signings this summer, focusing purely on quality and not packing the squad with youngsters. Liverpool lost their most important player last year in Luis Suarez, and it's possible to argue they would be losing their most important this year if Sterling departs.

Arsenal and Chelsea may be ready to act on a signing that can't be considered essential, but it would further establish their dominance over Liverpool.