Liverpool Boss Brendan Rodgers Hesitant Over Raheem Sterling Contract

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has hinted the club could resist handing Raheem Sterling a bumper new contract worth a reported £5.2m-a-year.

The 19 year old enjoyed a stunning breakthrough campaign at Anfield last season, earning a nomination for the PFA Young Player of the Year award before staring for England at the World Cup in Brazil.

Sterling's meteoric rise has led to suggestions Liverpool will tie down the youngster to a new deal in order to warn off interest from Europe's biggest clubs, with an offer of a five-year deal worth £100,000-a-week understood to have been discussed.

The deal worth a prospective £26m over the five years would make Sterling among Liverpool's best paid players however Rodgers has heeded caution over the club presenting such a substantial contract to Sterling.

"[A new contract] will be something that's done but we need to be careful," Rodgers said.

"Raheem is a kid who has propelled himself on to another level. He got rewarded for that and that will always be the case here but we have to be careful because, when you reward young players too quickly, that will be their downfall.

"It's a big problem with British players. Why? Because the reward is no longer there, they lose their hunger.

"Young players driving about - I say driving about, they buy a new Range Rover Sports before they have even got their driving licence."

Though Rodgers' sentiment is admirable, it could make the club vulnerable to offers from rival offers from across the continent.

Discussions over a new deal for another of Liverpool's prized assets come as the club continue to pursue a striker to replace Luis Suarez and despite the Merseysiders making Alberto Moreno their eighth summer signing on Saturday, Rodgers could yet make two more additions.

"We've got one or two more things to complete but we needed to develop the squad this year," he added. "We had a sustained challenge last year in the Premier League with 12, 13 players. Irrespective of players going out in the summer we needed to add more depth.

"I am really, really happy with the players we've brought it and it will allow us to cope with injuries and the competitions. If we can just bring in one or two in the areas that we want to we will have had a great window.

"This summer will probably be our biggest windows for a couple of years so we hope to get one or two more in."