Arsenal and Chelsea target Raheem Sterling is going nowhere, insists Brendan Rodgers

Raheem Sterling rumoured to leave Liverpool for a ‘bigger’ club

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Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has said that striker Raheem Sterling is going nowhere this summer and will stay at Anfield. Current Premier League leaders Chelsea also look set to join the battle to sign on the 20-year-old Jamaican, along with Arsenal and Manchester City but Rodgers has ruled out any such possibility this summer and sounded confident that owners of the club are also not keen on letting the forward go.

“He’s got two-and-a-half years to go on his deal and he’s not going anywhere in the summer. I cannot speak for the owners but I have a good idea of what they would do. I know them well enough and for me it would not happen. Liverpool are one of the superpowers of football and the owners have made it clear that money doesn’t come into it. If the club doesn’t want to sell, it won’t sell, it’s as simple as that. Money has never been the objective for the club,” Rodgers said, ahead of Saturday’s big clash against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

“He still has two-and-a-bit years left of his deal so it’s not something we’re overly concerned about. I’m confident that at the end of the season we’ll find the solution.

“Whatever player — Raheem or anybody — it would always be on the terms of the club,” he added.

Along with the Premier League, other clubs in Europe, the likes of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are also keen on signing him. However, Rodgers reminded the striker that it was Liverpool who made him who he is today and he should feel ‘honoured’ to represent them.

The interview caught us by surprise: Rodgers

Sterling had stated in an interview that he was ‘quite flattered’ by the interest shown by Arsenal and added that money didn't motivate him a great deal in stalling over a £100,000- a week contract.

The 42-year-old manager further declined to divulge any information on whether the player would face any disciplinary action after admitting that the interview did catch the club by surprise.

“There was no permission by the club, it was something that surprised us all.It’s part of the modern game. People who look after players and represent them have different ways of working. I’ve seen that over the years.

“He’s a young player who is still learning and developing on and off the field. Sometimes you make mistakes as a youngster,” Rodgers said.

‘The last time we sat down it was the intention of the player and his representatives, and also the club, to put (contract talks) on hold. Obviously, Raheem has come out and made his feelings clear on that and hopefully now the focus will be on the football.

"Our relationship is strong, which is important. He knows I’m working in the best interests of the club and for him," he added.