Brendan Rodgers appears to be powerless in the talks between Liverpool and two of his most influential players.
Contract negotiations are reportedly on hold between the club and Raheem Sterling, and also talks with Jordan Henderson have stalled.
With Rodgers rebuilding his squad with Sterling and Henderson at the heart of all things Liverpool, it is cause for concern for Red’s fans that Rodgers has been asked to step aside from any meaningful negotiation involving finance.
Club owner, John W Henry has entrusted business partner, Mike Gordon to see the deals through, leaving Rodgers to concentrate on all things football.
The Liverpool manager is reportedly ‘relaxed’ over Sterling’s contract situation. The England international forward has been offered £100,000-a-week to stay, but although Rodgers has insisted that the Merseyside club remains the youngster’s ‘best option’, talks have collapsed. With this news, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are watching with interest.
Jordan Henderson, assumed by many as Liverpool’s captain next season is holding out for £90,000-a-week but has only been offered around £60,000.
With Rodgers rebuilding and starting to reap the rewards for his tactical patience, it will be of concern to many that these talks have not been finalised, and he will be hoping very much that the flowing and attacking football Liverpool have rediscovered, will not be affected by off-the-field events.
Speaking ahead of the Red’s trip to Swansea, Rodgers said:
‘I don’t even know what Raheem wants to be honest, I just get him to concentrate on his football.
‘I just hope for the kid’s sake it gets resolved.
‘Ultimately it can be about two things for players and representatives — game time and money.
‘As a manager you want to give everything to the player to help them but ultimately if they, or more so their representative, decides the player needs to move, that is normally what happens.
‘I think this club has all the intention of wrapping these deals up but it’s not just the club, you have to remember that. There are two sides to it.’
FA Cup success is possible, and a top 4 league finish appears at their mercy, so Liverpool will want all doubt and conjecture dealt with internally and quietly……however that looks unlikely to happen.
Written by Michael Horne
Follow me on Twitter @MichaelHorne777
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