Raheem Sterling set to trigger Liverpool transfer clause as Manchester City form means £49m pay day

Raheem Sterling is on the verge of triggering the latest add-on payment agreed as part of his £44million move that took him from Liverpool to Manchester City.

And the England international’s fee will rise to £49m by the end of the season if Pep Guardiola’s Premier League champions continue to sweep all before them.

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Sterling needs to make just seven more starts in the Premier League and Champions League combined to prompt another £500,000 instalment of the complex deal that took him to the Etihad three years ago.

The 23-year-old became the most expensive English player of all time when signing for City. And although he has just signed a new five-year contract, which could be worth up to £300,000-a-week, he is still to meet all of the clauses set as part of £5m in add-ons in his original deal.

City agreed to pay a maximum of £49m based on success and appearance-related targets.

So far they have paid £2.5m on top of the original transfer fee, with the biggest single payment coming as a result of last season’s title success.

The Etihad hierarchy will consider that a small price to pay after watching Sterling establish himself as one of the most potent forces in Europe.

Likewise, the upcoming payment of £500,000 - which could be triggered before the turn of the year – only underlines his development since leaving Anfield.

City fought hard to keep Sterling’s price below the £50m-mark during protracted negotiations with Liverpool.

Eventually a fee of £44m was agreed, with a further £5m to be paid, dependent on his success.

Liverpool would receive £500,000 for every 30 starts made by Sterling in the Premier League and Champions League combined.

So far he has made 113, with the final appearance-related payment coming once he reaches 120, taking the total sum to £2m.

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Liverpool also demanded £1.5m for every Champions League trophy won with Sterling and £1m for every title.

The maximum amount City will have to spend is £3m combined – meaning a domestic and European double this season would complete their payments.

The size of Sterling’s fee was met with raised eyebrows when he completed his move to City, while he also faced fierce criticism for walking away for Liverpool.

But both City’s determination to make him the most expensive Englishman ever – and his own belief that he could realise his ambitions away from Anfield – have been justified by his success over the past 18 months in particular.

Sterling scored 23 goals as City ran away with the title last season – and has seven already this term.

He signed a new five-year deal this week, which makes him one of the highest paid English footballers of all time.

With Real Madrid among Europe’s giants ready to pounce for the winger, City director of football Txiki Begiristain summed up the importance of the deal.

“This is a significant moment for the club,” he said. “Raheem has improved dramatically in the past two seasons and is now one of the Premier League’s best attacking players. His statistics tell their own story.

“He’s quick, strong and excellent in front of goal – everything a modern-day forward needs to excel. We’re all delighted he has committed his future to City.”