Reports: Raheem Sterling rejects a £70,000-a-week contract by Liverpool

Liverpool's English midfielder Raheem Sterling runs with the ball under pressure from Basel's Swiss midfielder Fabian Frei during the UEFA Champions League against Basel.

Raheem Sterling has rejected a new Liverpool contract which offered him a hike of more than 100 per cent. The England international has still over two years left in his present contract and which pays him £30,000-a-week.

Deal not anywhere to be acceptable

According to The Telegraph, the Reds, after being knocked out from the Champions League on Tuesday night, offered the 20-year-old a new contract as a statement of their long-term plan.

The Jamaica-born Englishman has become an important player for the Anfield-based team. Last year, he formed the deadly trio with Sturridge and Luis Suarez and got Liverpool very close to clinching the league title for the first time in the Premier League era. After Suarez’s transfer to Barcelona and Sturridge being out due to recurring injuries, Sterling has become a central figure of the Liverpool squad.

In additon to the £70,000 per week basic wage, the contract also includes perfomance bonuses. As per the speculation in the media, it is being rumoured that the club and the player have yet not reach an agreement. The former QPR youth player, after his performances last season and his exploits in the current one, has been linked to a move to Real Madrid, which has given the player another bargaining tool. However, there have been other reports of him not moving anywhere as he is quite happy at the club.

Sterling happy here and won’t leave: Rodgers

The Liverpoolian boss Brendan Rodgers had claimed In October if Sterling would continue to be at the prestigious club.

"Yes. Absolutely adamant. I don’t think there is anything other than that. His agent is a good agent and he understands this is the perfect place for him," Rodgers had said.

"The boy is remarkably happy here and there are no secondary thoughts about anything else other than continuing to play for Liverpool.

"Also, to continue with his development because he still has a lot of growth and for that the best place for him to be is here. His representatives respect that and the club respects that. So that will get sorted out in time.” he concluded.

The rejection of a new contract by Sterling has added further to Liverpool’s problems as became the only English team which failed to reach the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions league in the current season. They are 15 points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea after 15 matches. Impact Sports Management, the firm that represents Sterling haa yet not commented on the matter.