Raheem Sterling would interest Manchester City – Sky sources

Manchester City would be interested in signing Raheem Sterling if the Liverpool forward were to become available for transfer, according to Sky sources.

However, City have not made any sort of bid for the 20-year-old England international, who still has two years remaining on his contract at Anfield.

There are also a number of other factors that have to be taken into account regarding any possible transfer to the Etihad, not least the fact that Reds manager Brendan Rodgers insisted on Friday that he expected Sterling to remain at the club this summer despite refusing to sign a new deal.

It is also understood that if Liverpool were to decide to sell Sterling then they would prefer to sell him to a club abroad rather than one of their Premier League rivals.

As for City, any possible move is likely to depend on what happens with the likes of Samir Nasri and James Milner, whose futures with the club have yet to be sorted out.

Sterling has been linked with a move away from Liverpool for several months and talks over his future scheduled for Friday were cancelled by the club.

Rodgers said at his press conference on Friday: "Raheem has two years left and I expect him to see that two years through and continue to behave as immaculately as he has done.

“I don’t see Raheem being unhappy. Raheem’s representative made it very clear that they wanted to speak at the end of the season, so for us our concentration is really on the last game of the season, so I am sure talks will take place over the course of the summer.

"We want to resolve the (contract) situation but it doesn't change my approach to him. There is no problem there.”

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Liverpool boss says Raheem Sterling is being led by his agent in seeking a move

Raheem Sterling: Deserves Liverpool fans' backing, says Brendan Rodgers

Brendan Rodgers says Raheem Sterling "is being led by his representative" and deserves the support of the Liverpool fans at Stoke on Sunday.

The 20-year-old's name has been splashed over the back pages all week which culminated in a scheduled meeting with his agent, Rodgers and chief executive Ian Ayre being cancelled after the club took issue to comments made by his representative Aidy Ward.

Suggestions on Monday that the youngster would not sign a new deal appeared to be confirmed on Thursday when an astounding report was published in the London Evening Standard in which the newspaper claimed Ward had said Sterling would not even accept £900,000 a week from the Reds.

However, Rodgers was full of praise for the winger and does not believe he should be criticised by the fans.

"My message to the supporters would be: 'Look, this is a young boy who in my time as manager has given the football club everything,"' Rodgers told national newspapers.

"He was thrust into the team at 17 years of age. In the following period he has been exceptional for me. He has had dips in form and performances but only because his standards are so high.

"He's a young man who has obviously passed on his career to other people and, unfortunately, whether people perceive it as right or wrong, he is being led by the representative.

"But the young boy I see on a daily basis and who I work with is still the same boy who wants to learn and I think the supporters will just continue to show what they always do, which is wonderful support for every player in the Liverpool shirt."

Rodgers has not given up hope of getting Sterling to sign a new contract but he would prefer to achieve it in a much less public way than has happened so far.

Liverpool's annoyance peaked with them pulling the plug on Friday's get-together and Rodgers would like things to be done out of the public glare.

"It's very difficult to comment on what other people speak about but we've always been very clear here at Liverpool - if we have any meetings or discussions to take place, whether it's with players, manager or whatever, it'll all be dealt with internally," he said.

"We don't like to publicise what we're going to do. We just look to do it in-house and as privately as possibly can be.

"The concentration for myself is to continue to improve Raheem as a football player."

Liverpool - or more significantly the owners Fenway Sports Group - have drawn a line in the sand, having effectively pointed to their handling of Luis Suarez when he tried to manufacture a move away in 2013, and will not be bullied by the player or agent.

"Raheem has two years left (on his contract) and I expect him to see that two years through and continue to behave as immaculately as he has done," added Rodgers.

Rodgers is set to meet owners FSG for an end-of-season review and asked if he feels reassured co-owners John Henry and Tom Werner will stick by him and ask him to lead the club next season following that review, Rodgers replied: "Yeah, yeah. 150 per cent."

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Roy Hodgson wants Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard on England coaching staff

Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard: Midfield duo play their final Premier League games this weekend

Roy Hodgson wants Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard to be part of the England coaching staff when they retire from playing.

Lampard and Gerrard play their final Premier League games this weekend before going to play in the United States.

Seventeen years after making his debut, Gerrard will turn out for Liverpool for the final time at Stoke City and Lampard's two decades in the top-flight end with Manchester City's home game against Southampton.

Hodgson admits the Reds and Lampard’s former club Chelsea will be in pole position for the pair’s coaching services but hopes they could be involved with England in the same way Gary Neville has been.

"Probably, yes," Hodgson said when asked if they could form part of the England backroom staff in the future.

"Before that, I'm sure the first people who will try to get hold of them when they return will be Liverpool and Chelsea. I'm pretty sure of that.

"But who's to say they can't be members in an English set-up as well? They certainly know England. They've both had 100 caps. But it's not only their playing ability. It's their leadership qualities. They're both leaders."

Gerrard and Lampard are both doing their coaching badges and Hodgson believes the pair have real potential to be successful managers.

"Both of them have the same ability to do that," he said. "I wouldn't want to put a cigarette paper between them in that respect.

"Their effect on English football has been quite incredible. But I'd rather speak personally.

"What they've done for me during my time as England manager has been quite fantastic not only on the field as players and in training as players, but also as leaders and characters, they've both been outstanding and I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart.

"They've been real role models for the rest of the players, they've had a natural authority due to the fact they are such good players but they have used their authority in the right way to encourage the younger players to make certain that their strong ethos, which as a coaching staff we share, is spread out amongst all the players.

"I can't thank them enough for what they've done. I really hope they enjoy their American adventures and they will come back even stronger individuals and leaders than they already are.

"We will see an awful lot of benefits going forward with those two players. I can't imagine a long-term future in English football without major contributions from Gerrard and Lampard."

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Stoke v Liverpool team news: Asmir Begovic to start

Asmir Begovic: Set to return in goal for Stoke

Asmir Begovic is set to return in goal for Stoke's final Premier League game of the season against Liverpool at the Britannia Stadium.

The Bosnian has sat out the last three games as manager Mark Hughes opted to give England Under-21 international Jack Butland some first-team experience.

Midfielder Stephen Ireland is a doubt with a stiff back.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers insists Raheem Sterling is available for selection despite his contract row hitting the headlines again this week.

Captain Steven Gerrard makes his 710th and final appearance before leaving for Los Angeles Galaxy.

Striker Mario Balotelli, who has not featured since April 28 because of injury and illness, remains a doubt.

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Gary Neville: Liverpool are in danger of becoming a provincial club

Raheem Sterling: Seemingly wants to leave Liverpool

Gary Neville believes Liverpool are in danger of losing their status as one of the Europe's biggest clubs as key players continue to look to leave.

Liverpool have been unable to agree a contract extension with Raheem Sterling, who is expected to be targeted by the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City this summer and could follow in the footsteps of Luis Suarez, who left the club 12 months ago to join Barcelona.

Writing in his column for The Telegraph, Neville believes Sterling's desire to move on presents the latest evidence that Liverpool are a fading force.

“The harsh reality for the club is that this situation has been 15 years in the making,” Neville wrote. “There is a wider context to this story and it centres on how Liverpool have gone from being from one Europe’s great superpowers to one which is in danger of becoming a provincial club.

“The uncomfortable truth is that this is nothing new for Liverpool. Just look back over the past 10 to 15 years and count the number of players who have left Anfield to pursue bigger and better things elsewhere.

“Steve McManaman, Michael Owen, Javier Mascherano, Xabi Alonso, Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez have all gone.”

Although Neville acknowledges that Liverpool remain alongside Manchester United in terms of global appeal, he feels the club have been responsible for their own decline.

“While United have been happy to shout from the rooftops about how big they are and promote the legend and mythology of the club on a global scale for years, Liverpool seem to have been stuck in their own mud,” Neville added.

“They are years behind the biggest European clubs and, for me, their problems are a direct result of that failure to think beyond the confines of their city.

“Great football clubs like Liverpool will never go away, but they need to find a way to arrest the slide and make themselves a team that players want to play for rather than one they try to leave in search of bigger things elsewhere.

“If Sterling leaves, then that will be another star player who has decided that Liverpool is a club that is unable to match their ambitions.”

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Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini unsure if Yaya Toure and James Milner will stay

James Milner and Yaya Toure: Uncertain futures

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini is in the dark over the futures of midfielders Yaya Toure and James Milner.

Ivory Coast star Toure, 32, has been tipped to join Paris Saint-Germain this summer after his agent claimed he was "90 per cent certain" to leave the Etihad Stadium.

England international Milner, 29, is out of contract at the end of the current campaign and has held off opening negotiations over an extension.

When asked about the future of Toure, Pellegrini said: "Same as James Milner - we have to analyse the whole squad at the end of the season and then we will see which is the best for the club and the player.

"James must decide what he wants to do for his future. That just belongs to him. He asked the club to allow him to take the decision at the end of the season. He will do it in the right moment.

"There are a lot of things we must think about for the future. We will try to do it as well as we can."

Pellegrini was equally coy over reports City will attempt to lure England winger Raheem Sterling away from Liverpool when the season is over.

The Chilean said: "Same answer that I gave you last week - I don't talk about rumours.

"There are a lot of very important players that maybe all the teams are wanting. I don't know what happens with Sterling or all the other players.

"We finish the season on Sunday. After that we will see what we need and which players can come here."

City wrap up a disappointing defence of their 2013/2014 Premier League title when they host Southampton on Sunday.

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Arsenal forward Theo Walcott could leave, says Charlie Nicholas

Charlie Nicholas: Make Theo Walcott feel wanted or risk losing him

Charlie Nicholas fears that Arsenal could lose Theo Walcott this summer if Arsene Wenger fails to make him feel like an integral member of the team.

Walcott returned from injury in January but has failed to establish himself as a regular in Wenger’s starting line-up, making just three Premier League starts and 10 substitute appearances.

The Gunners host West Brom in the final game of the campaign on Sunday before taking on Aston Villa in the FA Cup final on the following Saturday, and Nicholas has urged Wenger to give Walcott his chance.

He told Sky Sports: “I’m definitely concerned that if Theo doesn’t feel part of the team that he might want to leave.

“Liverpool must be looking at him given what’s happening with Raheem Sterling right now and he’s still at a great age to sign.

“I’m a big fan of Theo and this he has showed enormous maturity in trying to prove himself as a centre-forward, but if he doesn’t feel like he’s competing for a starting position then he’ll be tempted to leave.

“I thought he should have started against Sunderland and he should definitely be given a chance to prove a point against West Brom. He could play and important role in the FA Cup final with (Olivier) Giroud struggling for form.

“The same applies for Jack Wilshere, who hasn’t really had a chance either as the team were in great form when he returned form injury.”

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