The Athletic have today reported that Raheem Sterling wanted to move back to Liverpool last summer upon his departure from Manchester City. The Englishman was signed by Chelsea for a fee of £50 million instead, the first signing of the Todd Boehly era.
The report states that Jurgen Klopp had no interest in bringing Sterling back to Anfield. Sterling did not leave Anfield on the best of terms in 2015, after forcing a move to Manchester City. Liverpool offered Sterling a new contract in an attempt to keep him but Sterling was dead-set on joining the Blues.
Sterling’s forcing of a move to the Etihad lead to criticism from Liverpool legends like Steven Gerrard and Graeme Souness, as well as a large contingent of Liverpool supporters.
Interestingly, Chelsea seemed to be the only club in for Sterling last summer, according to The Athletic’s report.
Nevertheless, Sterling would have been an interesting replacement for Sadio Mane. However, many Liverpool fans would argue they already had the perfect Mane replacement in Luis Diaz, who was impressive for the Reds since his arrival in January 2022.
