Arsenal and Manchester City along with other top Premiership clubs and Real Madrid look on as Liverpool forward Raheem Sterling refuses to sign a new contract at Anfield warning the club that they must live up to his ambitions if they expect him to stay.
Last night the 20-year-old told the press that money is not his motivation, but that Brendan Rodgers and the team must convince him that they will be in a position to challenge for titles.
From what we know so far, Liverpool has offered Sterling £100,000 per-week some £65,000 more than he currently earn to remain on Merseyside, yet the youngster has told them he wants to wait until the end of the season before deciding anything.
When asked about his situation and the Liverpool offer Sterling said: “The public just see it as this 20-year-old boy being greedy.
“But I just want to take the time to think about what I have achieved in my career so far and where I need to go and what I need to do to get better as a player.
“It’s never been about money. I talk about winning trophies throughout my career. That’s all I talk about.”
Following last seasons success in which Liverpool almost won the league Sterling admits that had they done so he would have signed a new contract, but now feels as though the fans are turning against him for holding out on the club.
He said: “It’s not about the money at all. I just want to focus on football and when it gets to the end of the season assess my position, where I am as a 20-year-old playing in the Premier League.
“I just want to see where I need to be to achieve my goals that I’ve set out since I was a young kid.
“I don’t want to be perceived as a money-grabbing 20-year-old. I just want to be seen as the kid that loves to play football and wants to do the best for the team.”
Liverpool is currently five points off fourth place with eight games left to play, and even if they do not qualify for Champions League football next season Sterling says it will not affect his decision.
He said: “I wouldn’t say it [qualifying for the Champions League] would affect my position, but you want to be up there with the best teams in the league, you want to be competing with the best teams.”
Sterling is also sad to see Captain Steven Gerrard leave in the summer as was the case last year when Luis Suarez departed for Barcelona.
He said: “I think the club has got good ambition, last season was a really good season, then Gerrard is now leaving, Suarez leaving, it obviously does put a dent in the team.
“These are two world-class players but we have players that are coming up and hopefully these players can try to emulate what Luis and Stevie have done in their careers.
“It is definitely to see where we can push and go from here.”
When asked if he would still be at the club in June, Sterling replied: “I will definitely give guarantees at the end of the season. I’m just focusing on my football for now.”
