Raheem Sterling set for £200,000-a-week pay rise at Manchester City

Raheem Sterling is on the brink of a big-money move from Liverpool to Manchester City, where he will receive a huge £200,000-a-week contract.

 The ongoing and often bitter transfer saga has dragged on for weeks, but it appears to be coming to a close with updates on Sunday suggesting the two clubs had opened negotiations over a reported £49million switch to the Etihad.

 Sterling’s attempts to force through the deal, which were blasted by former captain Steven Gerrard, seem to have paid off for the wantaway starlet.

 Having called in sick to training last week,
Liverpool named the winger in the squad for their pre-season trip to Thailand on Saturday - despite earlier refusing to travel.

However, it was reported on Sunday morning that he was in fact left behind by the team, with the Reds receiving a fresh and improved bid from City.

 Sterling, who currently earns £35,000-a-week at Anfield, had earlier this summer refused to agree a new contract with the Reds, with his agent Aidy Ward insisting the player ‘wouldn’t sign for £900k-a-week’.

 But, according to talkSPORT’s Manchester football correspondent Dom Mc Guinness, the 20-year-old seems to have settled on a massive pay rise to finally seal his move. “

Apparently he did go to Melwood on Sunday morning but was told he wasn’t on the plane and that negotiations were at the critical stage,” he told the Press Pass. “Now it does seem that £44million plus add-ons will see Raheem Sterling join Manchester City.

 “As far as Liverpool are concerned, it’s a lot of money for a kid who joined them at 16 in 2010, while City need English players - they’ve already got the full 17-strong foreign quota for their Premier League squad.

 “Manuel Pellegrini joked that it would cost £100million to sign Sterling, but when you break it all down it won’t be far off that - in terms of the player’s wages, he’ll leap from £35,000-a-week at Anfield to £200,000-a-week at the Etihad.”