Liverpool Transfer News: Reds Due Raheem Sterling Bonus Payment, Latest Rumours

Liverpool will receive a tidy sum of £300,000 following Manchester City’s progression to the semi-final of the UEFA Champions League because of a clause in the contract of Raheem Sterling.

The player traded Merseyside for Manchester last summer in what was an ill-tempered transfer saga. According to Chris Bascombe of the Daily Telegraph, one of the add-ons in the deal was based on City's performance in the Champions League.

“By reaching the semi-finals, City will pay part of the sum negotiated for the winger,” said Bascombe. “Further triggers will be activated if City win the tournament outright during Sterling’s period at the club.”

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The deal to take Sterling from Liverpool to City could end up costing around £49 million in total, per BBC Sport, with the Etihad Stadium club parting with £44 million initially for the 21-year-old forward.

While City have progressed into the last four of this illustrious competition, Sterling wasn't central to their quarter-final triumph. As we can see here, courtesy of BT Sport Football, it was the club’s other marquee summer capture, Kevin De Bruyne, who was key against the Parisians:

Sterling didn’t play a single minute of the quarter-final double-header against Paris Saint-Germain because of a lingering injury problem; since his substitution before half-time of the Manchester derby on March 20, when he picked up the knock, he’s yet to start a game.

With a new manager coming into the club next season in Pep Guardiola, it’s going to be fascinating to see how the England international develops. Bleacher Report’s Dean Jones recently took a look at how it may pan out:

While Liverpool fans will look at the transfer fee received and any potential add-ons as excellent business, there’s still a long way to go in Sterling’s career. The amount paid for him is extortionate, although given his natural talent and tender years, it’d be little surprise if he went on to enjoy a successful spell with City, with whom he has already won the League Cup.

Mario Gotze Price to Drop

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According to Sport Bild (h/t Marc Williams of the Daily Star) Bayern Munich’s valuation of reported Liverpool target Mario Gotze has decreased substantially, although it is said they would still demand £27 million for the playmaker.

As Williams noted, the Reds have been strongly linked with a move for the Germany international, who is struggling for minutes with the Allianz Arena club. It’s suggested by Sport Bild that while he was once rated as a £43 million footballer, Bayern would not require such a massive amount to part ways with Gotze, especially with his contract set to expire in 2017.

The 23-year-old was introduced for the final seconds of Bayern’s Champions League quarter-final second leg against Benfica on Wednesday. DW Sports’ Alex Chaffer thinks this was a cue for the player to leave the club:

Gotze possesses too much talent to be a token substitute at the end of important games. At Bayern, outgoing boss Guardiola clearly has a variety of different options he’d prefer to use; it means what looked to be a dream unity between a cerebral footballer and bright manager has never sparked into life.

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OptaFranz took an in-depth statistical look at the player’s time at Bayern so far, comparing him to former player Lukas Podolski:

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp would surely love to have Gotze at Anfield, having drawn the best from him during their time together at Borussia Dortmund. A knockdown fee, which would surely be the case given his contract situation, would be an added bonus.

Plenty could change yet, though. In the summer, Carlo Ancelotti will replace Guardiola, who is clearly unsure about the player. Should the Italian opt to give Gotze a more significant role, it could convince him to stay on. However, after three frustrating seasons at the Allianz Arena, too much water may have passed under the bridge.