RUMOURS, rumours, rumours. Contracts, contracts, contracts. Does anybody know for certain what is going on with Raheem Sterling’s and Jordan Henderson’s contract negotiations? Well, obviously *they* know, writes OWEN REID. Brendan Rodgers probably knows, too. Their agents *definitely* know. I’d even stick a fiver on Colin Pascoe knowing, and maybe if I hang around the shorts section of Sports Direct for long enough, I’ll bump into him and I can ask him face to face.
Until then though, I have no bloody idea. And neither do you.
So what’s the point in writing an article on a subject that none of us know anything about with any valuable degree of certainty? Well, we all love a good rumour, and we all love to moan about a good rumour.
The following is therefore based on rumour, and rumour alone, but for the sake of the article, I’ll write as though the rumours are fact. Don’t expect any moaning, however…
Jordan Henderson, the current Liverpool vice-captain, has turned down £80k a week. Raheem Sterling, arguably the best youngster in the country, if not the world, has turned down £100k a week.
Now, in the current climate of outrageous Football Manager-style wage demands from players not even born when I scored that screamer into the top corner in the juniors’ yard in St Michael’s in the Hamlet, it could be argued that Sterling’s demands (or those of his agent) of anywhere between £120k to £150k might actually be justified. A player like him, if he was at Madrid, Barcelona, City, or any of the other ‘money is no object’ clubs, would find a wage like that fairly easy to wangle.
At Liverpool, though, there is not only a stricter budget, but also a greater sense of realism. See, we CAN afford both players’ wage demands, especially with Gerrard leaving in the summer and the new TV deal coming into play, but it is simply not ‘The Liverpool Way’ to do so — and certainly not the FSG way.
Does this need to change? Well, yes, it probably does. We complain that City and Chelsea sign up young players, pay them excessive salaries and then let them rot on the bench or in the Under 21s, but it’s these teams that will keep winning the league. We can’t totally compete with these two clubs on the wages front but with Sterling we wouldn’t be paying him mega wages to sit on the bench, or play against lesser players like Chelsea’s Kasey Palmer or Manchester United’s Radamel Falcao in the Under 21s. We’d be paying him to be one of our star players. This is the difference, and the reason why we should get him to sign at all costs. £150k a week? Just get it done. He’ll be off to Madrid in a few years anyway.
The case for Henderson is different. The figure asked for here is apparently £120k per week. He could well be club captain next season, and £120k a week is fitting for the captain of Liverpool Football Club, but as an individual player there are a several things acting against him.
Firstly, a player being offered contracts, in most cases, will go for the club who is offering the best deal. Would any other club in the world offer Jordan Henderson £120k? I can’t imagine so. The clubs who could afford to pay him those wages probably don’t need him, or if they did, would be more inclined to go for a higher profile target in a similar position. Not Henderson’s fault, and it’s not a dig at his ability, but he doesn’t have that X factor that would attract the richest, stupidest clubs. Henderson is a necessity in a footballing world that craves luxury.
Secondly, and following on from that last point, Liverpool need Jordan Henderson more than any other team needs Jordan Henderson. He probably knows that, too. He also probably knows that if he were to leave, he would either be making a sideways career move (albeit for more money), or he would be making a move to a club where he would be nothing more than a squad player. Would he risk potentially ruining his career by choosing an extra £30k to £40k to sit on the bench at Manchester City when he could stay and captain one of the most successful clubs in world football, and eventually his country?
My guess would be that he has far more sense than to gamble with his career like that.
Realistically, as time goes by, Henderson will negotiate an extra £10k, maybe £15k or so out of the club. Another club paying a transfer fee for him right now won’t match his demands, and when available on a free, he runs the risk of becoming the squad player that he simply would not be at Liverpool.
So no need to panic. Jordan is a top lad, and a top professional. If he doesn’t owe it to the club, or the fans — but maybe he does owe it to Brendan Rodgers. Rodgers has steadily guided his career in a remarkable direction from where it was when he first arrived at Liverpool. That lad who played out on the right and kind of did nothing is now vice-captain of Liverpool Football Club, chosen ahead of players who have captained their national teams.
He will be very much aware of this, and he will sign his contract. Make no mistake, Liverpool is where Jordan Henderson needs to be. And Raheem Sterling? He just needs some persuasion in the form of a wage offer similar to that which he could earn elsewhere. Over to you, FSG.
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Nice article and spot-on
“Henderson is a necessity in a footballing world that craves luxury” – like it!
*Awaits comment from smart arse that Rodgers tried to sell him.
It’s an interesting subject. I thought the plan was we don’t take a gamble on Cole and Jovanovic for £100k a week but when players deserve it then we pay it. I think it’s a good strategy and one I’ve always supported. When I fell for the new Suarez deal I thought it was justification for believing in it. If we’ve got 11 players at any point who deserve £150k a week then we’ll be winning the league regularly based on the accepted figure that Henderson is probably valued at £120k a week. It’s starting to look, though, that know one is currently viewed at that level, except Sturridge. Henderson, Coutinho and Sterling are perhaps the only ones in the squad though who are anywhere near that fee in worth. I completely take your point that Henderson (and probably Coutinho) is different to Sterling because he will settle for less. With Sterling though, it’s all well and good trying to wrangle with an agent who (and I base this on rumour, and no factual evidence too) has just left his agency to go solo and only has Sterling as his cash cow. Then there’s the argument Sterling is 20 and not been consistently brilliant across all areas of his game this season, but if we lose him I’ll be fuckin livid.
The question here is, will someone pay £150k a week for Sterling and the answer is simple. Yes! Should we then look at him and say he’s a player who’s showed he’s worth £150k. Yes! I thought that was the policy. Don’t get me wrong, I like James Milner but if he comes demanding £150k a week (he hasn’t) then it would be a gamble and the sort FSG wouldn’t want to make. Is Sterling a gamble. No! He’s integral to Liverpool winning the league in the next few years. It’s there in black and white for everyone to see.
I can understand the fans being irate about the demands, whilst shouting that Liverpool should be buying a £40m striker, but I still think people want 80’s values in 2015. Whether we like it or not only a fool would deny the running of a football club is as a business. The fans can have views that lean towards sensible policies (and separately, socialist views, as it’s the fans who are the clubs identity) but the club works on capitalist principles. Therefore, players are commodities and you pay the market value. It’s as simple as that. Anything else is negligence. I’m ok with it all at the minute. I don’t think there’s too much pressure on but we’d better make sure we get this right. So, I agree with you, fuck this moral side off and just pay him his worth. We’re not talking about paying it for a 20 year old. That’s a false economy. Sterling is 20 – 25 in these contract talks.
Well said Robin. I understand the reasons for FSG’s policy, and in most cases it works well, but there are times when flexibility is necessary. Just like Brendan has tweaked his ideas on how the team should play, the owners need to recognise when to break their structure.
Sterling’s value is at that level. If they were willing to give an obvious risk like Mario 100k then Raheem is arguably entitled to parity.
That could be the problem – entitlement. The argument that a kid so young on so much could lose focus, but I trust the double act of Brendan and his Mum to keep a lid on it. And let’s face it – he’s played in a World Cup as a key man, has had to deal with the maelstrom of bullshit that comes with being England’s bright hope and being targeted by opposition hatchet men. He knows he’s a big deal. An extra 20k a week won’t massively change his perception of himself.
If any evidence is needed of the potential perils of letting him go, just ask Arsenal fans. Also, the big agents talk. If a club is known for being stubborn over wages, who’s to say they won’t encourage their charges to look elsewhere.
The moment you start introducing flexibility to wage structure is the day you make even more problems for yourself. In my opinion FSG should stick to their guns. I truly believe that playing for LFC these days are one of the best challenges for young players. And more than that, if good enough, your chance will come. There is value in that to!
Totally agree that Liverpool is the place to be for young players. Raheem even said it himself. However, the fact that that alone wasn’t enough for him to sign a deal that would still put him in the top bracket is the worry. Sadly this is one area where what we think doesn’t make a difference!
With Gerrard & Johnson leaving in the summer surely the club can re invest their wages in Henderson & Sterling??
Maybe that’s a bit simplistic?
Lfc have to be very careful in this sterling contract i think. Could, and would he get 150k a week at one of the big wage spenders? Yes no doubt. However it isn’t a case of LFC affording that 150k and letting him have it as it will open the door to millions and millions of wage increases from our other good young players. A lot of future contracts with other prospective young players like, can, ibe, moreno, markovic etc will base what they ask for depending on what sterling gets. Coutinho reportedly signed for 70k a week (rumour) If sterling settles for 100k then the other young players i mentioned are going to be asking for 70k-100k a week in there next contracts if they do really well.
If sterling gets 150k it will mean coutinho wants to renegotiate next year no doubt and all the young potential players like can, markovic (currently on 50k and 30k i believe) will ask for more in the region of 100-150k as well if they play well.
Sterling is on 30k a week until 2017. Get him to sign on 100-110k a week knowing if he hits certain targets he goes up to joint top earner in two years. In the meantime renegotiate all our great young players using sterling 110k as a barometer and they will settle for less than he is on and more like 70k instead of 150k where they will want more like 100k.
There’s one problem with that. If Markovic, Moreno or Can ask for 150k a week they get told to fuck off and that’s that. The difference with Sterling is he’s worth it. You pay the market value or run the risk of losing them. Your choice.
These seem like rather American negotiations that are playing out in England. FSG, just as they handle the BoSox, try to negotiate from a position of power, and that’s clearly the car with Raheem. The lad is already on contact so they are in no rush to re-commit. Further, I think the worry is that he has a high, high ceiling. If they resign him in this season and he has a great year next year, will be want to restructure again? My guess is that the actual wages aren’t the issue as much as the time in which the contract re-up request came.
Make no mistake: when the Red Sox have to re-sign their own, they do it. They had to clear out the wage bill over the last few years not because it was high, but because it was high for the wrong reasons. FSG are always willing to spend the money (they are routinely in the top 5 of 32 in MLB salaries). They just want to spend it wisely.
Also: these are negotiations! Nothing more than seeing a boatload of cash about to crash into the coffers of every Prem owner, money that can then be distributed right in to the pockets of footballers. Sterling and Hemdo’s agents are playing against what they think the normal salary will be after the deal so they don’t leave any money on the table.
tl;dr — it’s just business, and probably has little to do with either player.
Henderson would start plenty of games for every team in England. He’s far better than Fernando, Fernandinho, Lampard, Mikel, Carrick, Herrera and Ramires.
robin – I know they wouldnt get 150k or even ask for it. But if they do well they might be asking for 100-110k (if sterling gets 150k) whereas if sterling signs for 100k they would be wanting 70-80k.
I know mate but the point is, if they’re in a position to demand £100k without getting laughed at then it means they deserve it. We can’t compete if we won’t pay the market value. That was my understanding, no dead wood on high wages.
I’m pretty confident that both players will sign in the summer. To my mind the clubs handling of these negotiations looks alot like a cost cutting exercise. Between now and the end of May improved contracts for Sterling and Jordan will cost between 1-2 million, depending on the which reports of the players demands you believe. From FSGs p.o.v why would they pay the extra now when they’re:
a) Almost certain Sterling and Henderson have no real desire to leave the club.
b) Have no means of exiting the club until July at the earliest.
c) Are contracted to play on there curentvsallary
I’m pretty confident that both players will sign in the summer. To my mind the clubs handling of these negotiations looks alot like a cost cutting exercise. Between now and the end of May improved contracts for Sterling and Jordan will cost between 1-2 million, depending on the which reports of the players demands you believe. From FSGs p.o.v why would they pay the extra now when they’re:
a) Almost certain Sterling and Henderson have no real desire to leave the club.
b) Have no means of exiting the club until July at the earliest.
Think about it, what’s to be gained by paying this money now, when you can pay it June? Then next year when the 14-15 accounts are reported, that 1-2 million will look better on the balance sheet, than I’m the players pockets
Henderson has proved he is worth an improved contract. Sterling has proved nothing. Give Hendo what he wants – tell Sterling to take a walk unless his football takes a quantum leap for the rest of this season.
I think Hendo is looking at Stevie G’s contract and thinking he is worth more than 80,000/week. Fair enough; he has done the business for a few years and has shown this season that he is worth top dollar. (It is worth noting that if rumours are to be believed, he is asking for less than what Gerrard is on.)
With Sterling, if it is true that his agent is leaving his agency and setting out on his own, I’d be inclined to think that he is using Sterling for his own benefit.
“Look at me lads! I stared Liverpool down and screwed them for 150 grand a week for a 21-year-old. Join my brand new agency and I’ll get you more than you ever thought you were worth!”
It is also worth noting that in an interview with Raheem earlier this year he said: “I’m just concentrating on my football and I leave the negotiations up to my representatives – I talk to my representatives every day”.
So much for concentrating on your football!
Ward is obviously in Sterling’s ear every day; it seems equally obvious that Ward has his own future in mind rather than Sterling’s.
Sadly, if Sterling wants to leave for the big contract somewhere else – let him leave. Mind you, unless he does the business for the rest of this season and next season there won’t be many clubs willing to fork out the massive cash for him.
Over to you, Raheem.
If we get £50m for Sterling let him go. He’s not played like a player who deserves £150k a week this season. He would have been in a better bargaining position last season. Henderson whoever should be offered what he wants. The club offered £80k, he wants £120k so meet in the middle at £100k, job done