Raheem Sterling could make or break Liverpool.

As one of their biggest stars the decision to leave the club could be one that change’s the Reds' fortunes for seasons to come.

Sterling’s contract talks have been in and out of the news all season and with it looking increasingly likely he may leave Anfield in the summer the question has to be asked, are Liverpool making a mistake by not trying to do everything in their power to keep him?

Liverpool and Sterling have been in talks for months about a new long term deal which would see the striker treble his money but it does not seem a sum can be agreed. Sterling believes he is worth more than what Liverpool have offered him and it is has brought a lot of tension between the two parties.

Over the last two seasons the young England player, who was named “Europe’s best young player of the year” last December, has shown his strength and his talent for scoring goals. But while he has shown what he is capable of it does not seem Sterling is completely happy at Anfield.

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Having experienced the Champions League last season Sterling wants to play regular European football and prefers to play up front like he does for England but Brendan Rodgers prefers to use him as a wing-back. The reds currently sit in 5th, five points behind Manchester United in the last Champions League place so it is looking less like they will be competing in Europe again next year.

Liverpool and Brendan Rodgers should be careful because having already lost Luis Suarez and with Ballotelli not proving his worth so far, losing Sterling might mean it will take them a long time to rebuild a team that has only just started competing for Champions League places again.

Last season Liverpool almost got their hands on the Premier League trophy and had one of their best seasons in recent years but after losing their biggest name they have struggled this season. If they lose Sterling as well, it might mean they will find it even harder to compete against the Premier League’s best teams. If I were Liverpool, I think I would be doing everything in my power to keep the talented youngster on their books.

It seems Rodgers likes controversial players - first Suarez then Balotelli and now Sterling. While Sterling is nowhere near as divisive as the other two - he has fallen out of favour with some fans because they think he is greedy. This seems an unfair statement really - while he is asking for a massive rise in money other teams obviously think he is worth it. Manuel Pellegrini has already stated his interest. The Manchester City boss wants to bring in some young talent to improve his ageing squad.

It will be interesting to see how this story finishes because it could make or break Liverpool’s upcoming seasons. I would say there are a few more twists and turns to come yet.

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