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With the 2014-15 season having been over for only six weeks, Raheem Sterling’s transfer saga has perhaps not run for as long as many would have expected. Despite that, it’s seemed rather endless—especially if one dates its beginning as back at his BBC interview in the spring.
Though whether one takes the view that it’s been tediously long or mercifully quick—at least as far as such a headache of a transfer can be mercifully quick—it now appears all but over, with Liverpool having accepted £44M up front plus a further £5M in add-ons for the want-away 20-year-old winger.
It’s an awful lot of money for a youngster who’s still more promise than proven and who, outside of half a season with Luis Suarez and a fit Daniel Sturridge, has only shown flashes of the kind of quality that would be worth that kind of a fee. Make no mistake, though: that kind of quality is there.
If Sterling can come good on it alongside City’s superstars, he will be worth every penny to them. Particularly as he’s young and English and could conceivably give them more than a decade as a starter. If he does, Liverpool fans will rue the day he was sold and the fee will come to seem a bargain.
That, however, is a best case scenario for City. And in the here and now, the mood was largely celebratory amongst Reds, with many former players doing like everyone else and taking to social media to react.
Thank god that saga is all done and dusted with.He gets his 150k a wk and his agent gets his pension!We need a proven scorer now!!!
— John Aldridge (@Realaldo474) July 12, 2015
Great deal for @LFC no player bigger than club. We need committed players #YNWA
— Ray Clemence (@RayClem1) July 12, 2015
So happy he has gone think he will miss us more than we will miss him #LFC #YNWA
— Rob Jones (@RobjonesLFC2) July 12, 2015
So effectively its £49m plus James Milner for Sterling from Manchester City....fantastic business for us #lfc
— Terry McDermott (@TerryMac777) July 12, 2015
Rodwell Sinclair.............sterling !! Should always be carful what you wish for #bench
— Jason MCATEER (@MCATEER4) July 12, 2015
Jamie Carragher, on the other hand, remembers the last two times Liverpool sold a player for big money and went for a bit of cheek instead.
I wish Lfc bought players as well as they sold them!!
— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) July 12, 2015
As for Piers Morgan, while not an ex-Red, he is apparently an aardvark. Which actually makes sense of a few things.
If Raheem Sterling's worth £49 million then I'm an Aardvark.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) July 12, 2015
Meanwhile, as we've now moved off just the former Liverpool players, at least one TLO favourite was quick to point out that £44M guaranteed is a ways off the £50M Liverpool were reportedly holding out for.
£44m is not £50m get on the damn plane
— oh you beauty (@natefc) July 12, 2015
Right, Raheem, you heard the man. And Ian? You'd best be getting back on your bike.
