London, July 13 (IANS) Liverpool’s unhappy winger Raheem Sterling has got his way after the football club and rivals Manchester City agreed a deal worth $76 million for the 20-year-old Londoner.
For City, it was third time lucky after bosses at Liverpool turned down previous offers worth around $54 million and $62 million, saying they priced their young star at over $77 million, Xinhua reported on Monday.
English sports media Sunday night reported the size of the Sterling deal is a new record signing for an English club, also making him the most expensive Under-21 player in Europe.
A recent study has already ranked Sterling as the most valuable young player in Europe, ahead of Paris St. Germain defender Marquinhos and Manchester United’s recently acquired Dutch striker Memphis Depay.
Sterling’s swapping of his red shirt for City’s sky-blue strip brings to an end an acrimonious saga starting earlier this year when the player rejected a pay packet worth $155,000-a-week to stay at Liverpool’s Anfield stadium.
Providing the formalities of a medical and contract checks are completed on Monday, Sterling will be saying hello to his new home at City’s Etihad Stadium.
The transfer drama unfolded as Liverpool players and officials jetted off to Thailand at the start of a pre-season tour of Asia and Australia.
As recently as this weekend, Liverpool manager Brendan Rogers told Sterling he would be a member of the tour squad, even though the player said he didn’t want to travel.
Rather than dismay at the departure of one of their super stars, some fans in Liverpool had a simple message for Sterling …. Good Riddance.
The way the Londoner made his wishes clear about wanting to exit Liverpool left many fans saying he should go. Their logic — no single player is ever bigger than the club.
The saga sent social media sites into overdrive on Sunday, many people delighted the Sterling story had finally reached its final chapter as far as Liverpool is concerned.
Even one of City’s all-time greats, Francie Lee commented: “I think Sterling will prove a very good acquisition for MCFC, even if we have overpaid for him!”
The big question at Liverpool on Monday will be how the club spends $76 million windfall to find a replacement for their eager-to-leave star.
Whether memories fade by March 2016 also remains to be seen: that is when Sterling could well make his debut against Liverpool as a City player in the Premier League.