Sterling has rejected a new £100,000-a-week contract but denied being a "money-grabber"
forward Raheem Sterling has been named as the club's Young Player of the Year, 24 hours after it emerged that he will ask to leave.
A small number of fans booed the 20-year-old as he collected his award on stage at the city's Echo Arena.
The England international is expected to tell manager Brendan Rodgers and chief executive Ian Ayre on Friday that he
wants to leave the club
this summer.
Brazilian midfielder Philippe Coutinho, 22, was voted Player of the Season.
Should Sterling be made available, Manchester City are the frontrunners for his signature
Sterling rejected a new £100,000-a-week contract in April but denied being a
"money-grabber"
in a BBC Sport interview, adding: "I talk about winning trophies throughout my career. That's all I talk about."
The forward told Rodgers he wants to leave before Liverpool's 1-1 draw with Chelsea game on 10 May, but it is understood the Reds want to keep the player, whose deal ends in 2017.
Should Sterling be made available, Manchester City are the frontrunners for his signature but a number of leading European clubs have also expressed an interest.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger refused to be drawn on whether he would
make a bid.
Several former Liverpool players have criticised Sterling and his representatives.
Former Reds striker
Emile Heskey said*
Sterling would be "denying himself the opportunity to grow and develop into a top player" if he left, and that Liverpool should "try as hard as they can" to persuade him to stay.
Analysis: BBC Sport's Phil McNulty
"Liverpool owner John W Henry will not be bounced into a sale, bullied by requests to leave or held to ransom by Sterling and his representative Aidy Ward. Nor should he be."
Read more
John Aldridge, who played for Liverpool between 1987 and 1989, said Sterling had been given
"woeful advice from his agent"*
and that "everyone in the game" knows it would be best for his development to stay.
Former Liverpool winger John Barnes said Sterling
should stay at Anfield,
claiming he would not be guaranteed regular first-team football elsewhere as he has still "not achieved anything".
..
Social Networking Bookmarks