15th April, 2015
Liverpool expect forward Raheem Sterling to remain at the club for “a long time”, chief executive Ian Ayre said in comments published by several British newspapers on Wednesday.
Sterling, whose contract expires in 2017, admitted in a recent interview — not sanctioned by the club — that he had rejected a new deal worth £100,000 ($148,320, 137,710 euros) a week.
The 20-year-old said he would not address his future until the end of the season, but Ayre has echoed manager Brendan Rodgers by declaring that the England international is not going anywhere.
“Raheem is a Liverpool player and has over two years left on his contract. We expect Raheem Sterling to be here for a long time,” Ayre said.
“Raheem’s agent has asked that we park all discussions regards his future until the summer. We respect that.”
Sterling has been the subject of controversy this week after video footage appeared of him inhaling nitrous oxide — a legal high also known as ‘laughing gas’.
He has also twice been pictured in newspapers with a shisha pipe and Rodgers said after Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Newcastle United on Monday that the player’s behaviour needed to improve.