Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers confident Raheem Sterling will sign long-term contract

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is confident on reaching an agreement with Raheem Sterling to commit his long-term future to Anfield with a new deal.

Even though the England international has become one of the most important players in the Liverpool squad, he is said to be one of the lower earners - taking home around £30,000-a-week - and, with his contract due to expire in 2017, his future at the club has been under scrutiny.

Real Madrid have been heavily linked with Sterling since the summer, while recent reports in Germany claimed Bayern Munich are also monitoring his situation should they fail to sign first-choice option Marco Reus.

Meanwhile, recent reports claimed Sterling was unhappy with the new contract offered by the Reds.

Even though the negotiations have reportedly stalled, Rodgers is confident Sterling will stay at the club.

Asked if the attacking midfielder might consider leaving, given Liverpool's current problems, the manager said, according to The Guardian: "Hopefully that won't be the case.

"The club will work very hard [on the new contract]. Raheem's happy here and loves being a Liverpool player. I'm sure between them and his representatives we can get a deal done that sees him continue to develop what is an exciting career."

After Luis Suarez's summer departure to Barcelona, Rodgers believes keeping Sterling is crucial for the future of the club.

He said: "We are a club that are trying to build something. We were on a path for a couple of years and of course we've had to come off that path since the summer. We've lost some players and are having to regroup again.

"Raheem is a real catalyst and talisman for this team. He's been a great example of the progress that a lot of the players have made here, going from a youth-team player into one of the top young players in European football."