Raheem Sterling forced £49m Manchester City transfer from Liverpool
Former England international Raheem Sterling’s controversial £49m move from Liverpool to Manchester City in July 2015 remains one of the most turbulent transfers in modern Premier League history.
The then-20-year-old famously refused to participate in a pre-season tour to force through a lucrative switch to the Etihad Stadium.
Tensions between the player and former Reds manager Brendan Rodgers reached a boiling point after the winger rejected a new £100,000-a-week contract offer.
Pre-season protests and a damaged legacy
Desperate to secure his desired move to Manchester, the London-raised attacker informed Rodgers he would not travel with the squad to the Far East and Australia.
The wantaway forward escalated the situation by calling in sick to miss two consecutive days of training on Merseyside.
Liverpool initially stood firm by rejecting two opening bids from the Citizens before eventually sanctioning the record-breaking departure later that summer.
Regrets over Anfield departure
Following the completion of the transfer, the former Queens Park Rangers academy prospect admitted feeling remorse over the bitter nature of his Anfield exit.
“I was a bit disappointed how I left.”
“That was the main problem I’ve had with the situation – how I’ve left it with Liverpool. I’m good with everyone at the football club, the manager, the players and I wish them well for the new season.”
“But it was really disappointing how it did finish off.”
Vindication at the Etihad Stadium
Despite the acrimonious departure, the move ultimately proved wildly successful for the lightning-fast attacker’s professional career.
He established himself as a cornerstone of the dominant Manchester City side, securing four Premier League titles, five League Cups, and an FA Cup during a stellar seven-year stint.
The prolific wide-man registered 131 goals across 339 appearances for the Manchester giants, cementing his status among the club’s modern greats.
A £50m switch to Chelsea followed in 2022, where he spent two seasons before embarking on a season-long loan with Arsenal for the current 2024-25 campaign.