Liverpool confirm Jordon Ibe and Jon Flanagan have agreed contract extensions

Liverpool have seemingly sought to turn the focus away from the increasingly unsavoury saga involving Raheem Sterling by confirming Jordon Ibe and Jon Flanagan have agreed to extend their respective contracts at Anfield.

The chances of Sterling, who will become a free agent in July 2017, remaining at Anfield beyond the coming summer were dealt a further significant blow on 21 May when a series of explosive quotes attributed to the player's agent, Aidy Ward, by the London Evening Standard appeared to confirm the in-demand England international will not be signing new terms for any amount of money.

While the prospect of losing such an obvious talent becomes increasingly more likely, frustrated supporters will no doubt be delighted to see that highly rated Ibe, who was dubbed a perfect replacement for Sterling by John Aldridge earlier in May, has agreed to sign a new, long-term deal to remain at the club.

"I'm over the moon," the 19-year-old told Liverpool's official website after news of the agreement broke over Twitter. "It's something I've been looking forward to. I've spoken to the gaffer and I'm happy it's over and done with. Now I just want to kick on into next season, as well as the last game of this one.

"Liverpool are a great club and I like the philosophy here. I'm enjoying it – I've just been brought into the first team and I've enjoyed the games I've played in. Hopefully I can just keep doing well at the club.

"I have been given the chance to play quite a few games and I've enjoyed it. As I said, I just want to take that into pre-season and then next season, continuing with how it's been since I've been back here."

Good news for Flanagan despite injury woes

While Ibe has impressed under manager Brendan Rodgers since returning from a productive loan spell at Championship outfit Derby County despite missing several weeks through injury, Flanagan has not featured for Liverpool in a competitive fixture since being substituted at half-time during the 2-1 win over Newcastle United in May 2014.

After initially undergoing knee surgery during that same year, the full-back went under the knife once again in April in a bid to correct a recurring problem sustained during pre-season.

He is not expected to return to first-team action until November at the earliest, yet has obviously shown enough in his previous appearances for the club to ensure he was not left searching for a new employer this summer.

"It has just been unfortunate for him [Flanagan] because he was about to sign a new deal just before the injury," Rodgers said. "Obviously his representatives and the club have been in talks, his deal was running out in the summer. He's a very important player for us.

"Medically, we have to look after him now as well because he's had quite a bad injury there that we've had to look at. But all the medics are saying that he's going to come back stronger and healthier. That's the most important thing.

"He has got a long road ahead of him over the next four to six months but I'm sure he'll get his rewards at the end of that.

"We're hoping that he can get back fit within the next year; it has been a long journey for him this last 18 months and in particular the last year of injury. Hopefully he can get back fit and get back into the team."

Following a 3-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace last time out, Liverpool will finish an eventful 2014-15 campaign with a trip to Stoke City on 24 May.

The match at the Britannia Stadium will be the last in English football for long-term captain Steven Gerrard before he completes a switch to Major League Soccer side Los Angeles Galaxy.