Raheem Sterling Slammed by Steven Gerrard Amid Liverpool Transfer Rumours

Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has told Raheem Sterling and Liverpool "to be men" when dealing with the want-away winger's desire to leave Anfield.

Gerrard, who recently exited the Merseyside club for MLS side Los Angeles Galaxy, isn't impressed with a saga which has dragged on since the end of the 2014-15 season. He told Sky Sports, as reported by Sami Mokbel of the MailOnline:

"

I’m not happy with all that carry-on and I don’t think there’s any need for it. They all need to be men about the situation. Raheem needs to go in and speak to the owners and to Brendan himself, tell them what he wants and go about it that way. You don’t have to throw illnesses in and refuse to go on tour.

There are millions and millions of Liverpool fans around the world who are itching to see Raheem Sterling in a Liverpool kit. So I don’t think it’s fair on them if he is behaving like that.

"

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Per Mokbel, Manchester City will make a third offer to sign the player, but manager Manuel Pellegrini is in "no rush" and believes the player's rift with current boss Brendan Rodgers could see his £50 million valuation lowered.

David Anderson and John Cross of the Mirror suggest City's final offer will be £40 million plus £5 million in add-ons. This report noted some of the Liverpool squad want to see the transfer completed after becoming "upset" with the situation.

Sterling has called in sick and missed the last two days of training after refusing to go on the club's pre-season tour of the Far East, according to the Independent's Simon Rice.

Earlier in the week, Cross and Darren Lewis of the Mirror reported that Sterling would be willing to stay at Liverpool if Rodgers wasn't in charge. Aidy Ward, the player's controversial agent, suggested "a breakdown in trust" between Sterling and Rodgers has pushed the situation this far, reported Charles Sale of the Daily Mail.

The situation continues to make headline news, per Nick Sutton of BBC Radio 4:

Sterling's attacking versatility makes him an extremely attractive prospect. He is difficult to dispossess with the ball at his feet and has the speed to skip away from most opponents. Although not a natural finisher in front of goal—he netted seven last season—he is more than capable of becoming one of the Premier League's most prolific players.

B/R UK's Stan Collymore believes the 20-year-old could become a global star or a colossal flop:

City appear willing to see exactly which level Sterling achieves. A bid worth £45 million is a major showing of belief in his ability and a risk in the era of UEFA's financial fair play rules. Although an established player, Sterling has a long way to go before he can be considered one of the world's best. He is an exciting youngster who will likely have to justify a huge transfer sum.

He could work avidly with the likes of Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Yaya Toure at the Etihad Stadium. Although Rodgers is building a creative unit to feed Liverpool's forwards—with Philippe Coutinho, Adam Lallana and Roberto Firmino potentially playing behind a lone striker next season—Sterling may feel success will be easier to achieve with a tried and tested formula like City's.

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The Champions League stage will also be put before him on a regular basis if he moves to Manchester, an experience which will force him to develop much quicker than if he remains with the Reds.