Liverpool stand firm in Raheem Sterling contract negotiations

Liverpool won't be selling Raheem Sterling in the summer in spite of the England international refusing to let up on his demands of a bigger contract on his current extension, according to ESPN.

Sterling has reportedly asked for a £150,000 a week deal to extend his stay in Anfield, which expires at the end of 2017. However, Liverpool are refusing to yield and are ready to offer him anything around the £100,000 to change his mind. This has taken the contract talks into an impasse with Brendan Rodgers claiming that they will restart negotiations in the summer regarding his deal.

The current scenario has attracted interest from a host of Premier League clubs, namely Arsenal and Manchester City, who are on the prowl for any detail that would turn the tides in their favour. The Gunners have earmarked Sterling as a like for like replacement for Theo Walcott, who is also playing hardball on his extension which expires in 2015.

This is Theo's second extension in two years, after the player had entered into a similar battle with the Arsenal management in 2013, when after a lot of pleading, he signed a three and a half year contract.

Champions City are also in the running as they look to induct players to cover their home-grown quota to collate with the demands of the Premier League. Manuel Pellegrini is not a huge proponent of the rule, branding English players as overpriced after failing to make progress with the signing of Scott Sinclair and Jack Rodwell. He also hit back at being linked with Sterling, stating that the player will cost anywhere in the range of £100m.

"It is important to have English players but can you sign them?" Pellegrini retorted.

"Can you get [Raheem] Sterling? Maybe if you go to Liverpool with £100m you can. If I want an English player in the position of [David] Silva who is there? Maybe [Wayne] Rooney, but who else?" he added.