But for all his undoubted talent, Raheem is a precocious star with plenty of attitude, and batted no eyelid in turning down Liverpool’s two improved contract offers in the last couple of months, the latest described as “an incredible offer” by Reds manager Brendan Rodgers, a man who Sterling once described as his “football father,” a man who deserves some piece of Sterling’s new lucrative deal far more than the greedy agents who are misguiding the young player – lest we forget, Rodgers honed Sterling’s talent to where the boy is today, and he’s not yet a finished product!
Sterling reportedly earns 30,000 quid weekly in an improved deal that ends in two years time. That has been reportedly trebled to 90k quid weekly on the latest offer which the Jamaica-born England international is about to reject for rumours of interests from Real Madrid, Barcelona (despite FIFA’s transfer ban?!) and Chelsea!
Sometimes I shake my head at players naivety. As talented as he is, who would Sterling displace at any of those three clubs? NOBODY! And of what value is a lucrative deal (even if we indulge him by agreeing that 90k weekly wage is not lucrative enough for an inexperienced 20-year-old) if you rot away on the bench until you go into total oblivion? And football history is replete with such sad stories of greed, misguidance and eventual waste of very promising talent.
Truth is Sterling needs Liverpool (and BR) at this crucial stage of his career more than the club need him. He still needs a lot of growing up to do – decision to locate better-placed team-mates when he manoeuvres his way into opponents dangerous areas is one area that readily comes to mind. And who better to nurse his growth than the man who has been doing it for the past three years?
Pray, would Jose Mourinho or Carlo Ancelotti have time to mollycoddle him and tutor him through his mistakes and rough edges of his game? MOST CERTAINLY NOT! Not because they are wicked managers, but simply because they don’t have time for such luxury.
Sterling has progressed well in his time at Liverpool and I’d like him to continue that growth at Anfield for his own sake and for the sake of his fledgling career. But if he continues to be obstinately greedy, I’d advise the Reds should cash in on him, sell him to the highest bidder in the summer and let him go and rut away wherever he chooses.
But before he makes that decision, he only needs to look at the sorry case of another precocious talent Mohammed Salah whose career became painfully stunted at Chelsea before seeking a loan revival to Fiorentina in far away Italy. That is just one example of talent-sacrificed-on-the-alter-of-greed story which is prevalent in today’s monetized football.
On a final note, Sterling and his agents should note that Liverpool have all the aces in this contract imbroglio. The Reds could either ask the boy to play out the remaining two years on his existing deal while collecting measly 30k quid weekly or sell him for an exhobitant amount. Either way, the club win! The only way Sterling could gain is by signing the new deal in anticipation of more lucrative deal as his career progresses.
COMMENTS