Liverpool have rejected a projected £30 million offer from Manchester City for Raheem Sterling, the unsettled England forward.

City made their move this week, offering a guaranteed £25 million, plus £5 million in potential future payments, but the offer was firmly turned down. The Merseyside club value Sterling at more than £50 million and maintain that they will not consider selling for less than that sum.

Liverpool have still not given up hope of persuading Sterling to sign a new contract, despite the claim from Aidy Ward, his agent, last month that the 20-year-old would not extend his deal “even if they offered him £900,000 a week”. However, the growing sense of acrimony between the club and the player, who informed Brendan Rodgers last month