Man City warn Liverpool that Sterling bid is their penultimate offer

Manchester City are renowned for their shrewd negotiating skills and have again put the pressure on Liverpool, who now face the tough decision of whether to accept £40 million or wait several days for an unknown amount that is guaranteed to be more than £40 million. “We’re in a real bind,” an Anfield insider told FourFourTwo.

“City aren’t messing around here. If we turn down this offer then there will only be one more, noticably better, offer and then that’ll almost certainly be it.”

FFT has been told the fax City sent to Liverpool with their bid for Sterling stated that if the Reds refused it within the working day, the former champions would endeavour to get the increased offer to them before the weekend – otherwise they couldn’t guarantee it’d be with them before next Monday.

“We have to be ruthless otherwise, heaven forbid, Man City would get the reputation of being a club who overspend on players,” said director of football Txiki Begiristain.

“I know it sounds harsh, but that’s how you have to be in business. We've told Liverpool that there really will only be two more bids and then we will most probably walk away.”

While City haven’t begun formal talks with Sterling over his wage demands, believed to be in the region of £150,000 per week, Begiristain is adamant that the club will take a hard line.

“We won’t be paying exorbitant wages,” he insisted. “Unless Raheem really, really wants them. Then I guess we could I suppose, but just this once.”

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