During his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday's clash against Arsenal, Brendan Rodgers tried to put an end to those rumors placing Raheem Sterling away from Anfield Road. The Northern Ireland manager dismissed the possibility of Sterling's departure, even with his contract talks stalled after the player refused to sign an extension of his current commitment.
"He's not going anywhere in the summer. The focus is on trying to make him the best player we can. For Raheem it’s purely about the football and he’s made it clear that he’s happy here. Trying to put off all the talk. He’s a boy who loves his football. He understands and respects the opportunity that he’s had. If the club doesn’t want to sell it won’t sell. That’s that case with any player, Raheem or anybody else," Rodgers stated.
Speculation rised after an interview, which Rodgers claims happened without the club's permission, in which Sterling stated he was "flattered" to be linked to Arsenal, and how he dreamed to play in a foreign country. His coach talked about that interview's outcome, and he tried to interpret what his player really meant.
He’s a young player who has to learn and sometimes they makes mistakes. Our relationship is strong. He will learn as time goes on. We all make mistakes, especially when you’re young. He's got a lot of improvement to do and this is the best place for him to do it," the coach added.
Liverpool will visit Emirates Stadium this Saturday trying to keep their Champions League hopes alive. The Reds will not have available neither Steven Gerrard nor Martin Skrtel, who were handed three match bans for their stamps against Manchester United players.
