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Sterling's Agent To Reopen Contract Talks



Raheem Sterling's agent has called for fresh talks with Liverpool this week as the rift regarding his Anfield future threatens to widen.

Aidy Ward is planning to meet Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre ahead of the final Premier League game against Stoke City on Sunday.

The latest face-to-face discussion has been initiated by Ward, who halted negotiations in March to enable Sterling to concentrate on trying to help his club qualify for Europe.

It is not clear to Liverpool at this stage if the talks have been requested to finally agree a new contract or reiterate Sterling's unwillingness to sign a new deal. Liverpool will hope a period of reflection will lead to the 20-year-old committing to the pounds 100,000 a week offered several months ago but it was made clear to the club in a previous meeting that Sterling would be seeking Champions League football. Liverpool, of course, will not be able to provide this next season.

Manchester City are among those known to be monitoring Sterling's situation with interest, but the player still has two years remaining on a pounds 35,000-a-week deal, with club owner John W Henry making it clear he is not prepared to sell to a rival this summer.

If Sterling does not sign new terms, he faces at least the next 12 months on the same salary, as Liverpool refuse to budge and stick to what - on the surface at least - appears a prohibitive valuation of the player at around pounds 50?million.

It has been a difficult second half of the season for Sterling, whose form dipped after the contract impasse was made public. A television interview, initiated by the player, during which he said his dispute was not about finances - weeks after his agent had asked for a pounds 150,000-a-week new deal - did not help his relationship with the Kop.

Sterling was Liverpool's star performer for the first few months of the season, although being forced to switch positions because of the club's lack of strikers did not help him.

Brendan Rodgers, the Liverpool manager, will be determined to return Sterling to a fixed role next season to avoid the kind of inconsistency seen during the climax to this campaign.

One of those vowing to improve next season is pounds 25?million midfielder Adam Lallana, who offered a blunt assessment of his contribution.

"Very average, if I'm being honest," he said. "My fitness has really frustrated me. Every time I've felt I'm getting going, I've had a niggle and been out for two weeks. I started the season with an injury so I feel like I've got more to give next season. If I stay fit, I feel I'll contribute my best to the team. Hopefully, we can move forward as a team and get into the top four and win trophies."

With Steven Gerrard leaving, Rodgers is demanding more from his dressing room and Lallana, a former Southampton captain, will be expected to inspire those around him. "I'm a leader, I feel responsible in the group," he said. "But we've got a lot of leaders in the team. I feel we've got a good team spirit as well.

"I just hope we can build on this season, it's had lots of ups and downs. But there are positives to be taken from it. There's been the disappointment of getting to semi-finals and missing out on finals, missing out on the top four, but we need to learn from that and keep working as hard as we can."

Lallana has not been helped by the lack of quality strikers at Anfield, a lack of runners beyond defences limiting his passing options.

"Possibly, yes," he said. "It's been made public that we're looking for strikers, so I'm sure we are. We are missing that 20-goals-a-season man up top, and that would've added another 20 goals to our season."

Liverpool plan to announce Jordon Ibe's contract extension this week, while deals are still anticipated to secure Manchester City's James Milner and Burnley's Danny Ings.