clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Daniel Sturridge Close to Signing New Contract

Reports have cropped up after Liverpool's defeat to FC Basel that bring morsels of optimism for crestfallen souls.

If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

Alex Livesey

Daniel Sturridge is an important player for Liverpool but has the unfortunate propensity to get injured here and there. Since his arrival at the club, the England international has consistently scored goals and been a positive influence around the club. In interviews he has shown a humble yet ambitious nature, and the 25-year-old has provided some funny moments on the camera too. A successful striker who scores regularly to compare with any of his peers in the Premier League and a likeable character. No matter what one thinks of his dancing skills when he celebrates his goals, the striker is arguably the most successful signing of the Brendan Rodgers era to date.

A number of players are on the club's agenda for renewal and Daniel Sturridge is among them. Other players, including Jon Flanagan and Jordan Henderson, are set to sign new deals at some stage this season after reports earlier in the year that fresh terms were in the works. Last month, Philippe Coutinho talked of his excitement of Champions League football and a potential new contract. Tying down players who have proven to handle the pressure of playing for Liverpool and can conceivably make further strides in the future is a sensible way of working.

So, Daniel Sturridge is set to sign a new five-year deal that should tie him to the club for the prime and choice cuts of his career. An impressive figure of £150,000 a week has been bouncing around the most reliable newspapers in England by journalists such as The Guardian's Andy Hunter and The Telegraph's Chris Bascombe. The deal supposedly features an incentivised structure that has become more common in recent years to extract the most value out of players for the good of the club. Should Sturridge be one of the club's elites on the player pay scale?

He has 36 goals in 52 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool, 32 in 46 Premier League games, and is the most prolific striker in his first 50 outings for the club since George Allan in the late 19th century.

That's how Hunter ended his piece, and the short answer to the aforementioned question would be affirmative. What more could Daniel Sturridge have done since his arrival to be trusted as a player worthy of a considerable increase in his wages and enhanced status within the squad? Perhaps Daniel Sturridge isn't as cherished by Liverpool fans as he should be. He scored goals early on and regularly too yet wasn't met with the same outpouring of fervent singing as others have been. Perhaps Liverpool's travails since in the absence of a goalscoring record breaker have served as a timely reminder of his importance to the squad and Liverpool's prospects.

The international break signalled a sobering time for Liverpool fans with an injury to Sturridge and anaemic performances. With Liverpool's number 15 close to a return to action, news of his continued commitment to Liverpool is undoubtedly welcome. An announcement should be imminent considering the attention given to and cluster timing of the reports. It is hoped that in the coming years, the goals will keep coming and the injuries simply won't come at all. Dance in your sea of tears. Do it. Now.

Sign up for the newsletter Sign up for the Liverpool Offside Daily Roundup newsletter!

A daily roundup of Liverpool FC news from Liverpool Offside