Sterling tour snub in bid to force a move

RAHEEM STERLING has told manager Brendan Rodgers that he does not want to go on Liverpool’s summer tour. The England international is determined to force a move away from Anfield and wants to stay in England to sort out his future rather than travel to the Far East and Australia.

Manchester City have yet to make their third and potentially decisive bid for the 20-year- old forward, with Liverpool holding out for £50million.

Liverpool rejected an improved offer of £35m rising to £40m last month.

Unless City make a decisive move in the coming days Sterling, who reported to Melwood for pre-season on Monday, would be expected to fly to Thailand on Sunday.

Their first tour game is in Bangkok next Tuesday.

However, Sterling is prepared to force a stand-off with Liverpool to make it clear he wants to move to the Etihad.

Such a stance would force Liverpool’s hierarchy into disciplinary measures but they would be reluctant to have such a cloud hanging over them as they go on a highprofile tour.

Liverpool found themselves in a similar situation two years ago when Luis Suarez was trying to engineer a move to Arsenal in the summer of 2013. The Uruguayan was banished to train on his own before accepting he was going nowhere and knuckling down.

Liverpool and Atletico Madrid have agreed to end defender Javi Manquillo’s two- year loan at Anfield one year early.

Meanwhile City have cooled their interest in Paul Pogba in the face of astronomical demands from the player and Juventus.

City were quoted £71m — a British record — to buy Pogba, with agent Mino Raiola trying to engineer him a salary of £250,000 a week.

After Juventus rejected a £57m bid from Barcelona for the 22-yearold France midfielder last week, it is believed the Italian club expected City’s Arab owners to meet their demands.

But the figures are simply too much for City, despite the lifting of restrictions imposed by UEFA for breaking Financial Fair Play regulations and a promise from their chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak that they are ready to compete in an ‘aggressive market’ for worldclass players.

City’s need for another central midfielder will not be so great if they succeed in signing Fabian Delph from Aston Villa for £8m.

And the Manchester club won’t balk at the £ 50m valuation of Wolfsburg’s Kevin De Bruyne.