Raheem Sterling has been named in the Liverpool squad for their impending tour of the far east and Australia but has not given up hope of a late diversion to Manchester City.
The 20-year-old has informed Brendan Rodgers that he wants to be omitted from the tour, which commences with a flight to Bangkok on Sunday, as he pushes for a move to the Etihad Stadium. Sterling’s place on the flight was also put in doubt when he missed two days training through illness earlier this week. However, he returned for two training sessions at Melwood on Friday and is on the list of players selected for the two-week tour of Thailand, Australia and Malaysia.
Mario Balotelli, Fabio Borini and José Enrique – whom Rodgers would like to sell this summer – have all been left out. The new £29m signing, Roberto Firmino, Philippe Coutinho and Emre Can are also missing from the travelling party having been given extended leave following recent international tournaments.
Whether Sterling boards the flight to Bangkok remains to be seen. The England international would be in breach of contract should he miss the start of the tour without Liverpool’s permission and the Professional Footballers’ Association may then step in to mediate between the two divided parties. But there remains a chance, albeit a slim one, of him remaining in England to complete an acrimonious exit from Anfield and transfer to the deposed Premier League champions.
Liverpool have rejected two bids worth up to £30m and £40m from City for a winger they value at £50m.
Negotiations are on-going and, though a third official offer has yet to be made, the Manchester club are believed to be willing to pay £40m up front for Sterling plus an extra £4m in add-ons.
The player would only be excused from Liverpool’s pre-season tour in the event of his employers accepting a third offer from City that falls below their valuation. He is otherwise expected to travel with his team-mates on Sundayand participate in a tour that ends on 24 July.
The Anfield club also confirmed on Saturday that Gary McAllister has been appointed as their new first team coach. McAllister, a hugely popular figure at Liverpool following two successful seasons as a player there between 2000 and 2002, has been out of football since leaving Aston Villa in 2011 and was invited back to Anfield by Rodgers as he sought a coach with connections to the club.
The 50-year-old completes Rodgers’ restructuring of his back-room staff following the appointment of Sean O’Driscoll as assistant manager and the promotion of the Dutchman Pepijn Lijnders to first-team development coach.
“I feel as if I owe Liverpool,” said the 50-year-old McAllister. “Getting that opportunity at the last stage of my career, at 35 – this is similar. I feel the same as I did with that: that was a surprise phone call back then when I was given a chance to come and play at Liverpool as a 35-year-old. Right place at the right time, and I just hope it repeats itself. A lot of hard work and dedication … everything is there. Liverpool is a club where you can win things, that’s a fact.”
City, meanwhile, have added a friendly match against Stuttgart to their pre-season itinerary. Manuel Pellegrini’s side will head to Germany on 1 August, a little over a week before they open their Premier League campaign with a Monday night trip to West Bromwich Albion on 10 August.
