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Sterling deal close, says Liverpool boss Rodgers

Raheem Sterling's impressive solo strike against Chelsea on Tuesday was his first since returning from holiday © Getty Images

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Raheem Sterling will sign a new contract at Liverpool "very imminently", says manager Brendan Rodgers, who sees the 20-year-old forward as a key figure in a title push next season.

Sterling's representatives, Impact Sports Management, have been in negotiations with the club's chief executive Ian Ayre for more than three months to extend a deal that currently runs until 2017.

Liverpool were hopeful of concluding talks to sign Sterling up until 2020 in November, but Rodgers is not concerned about the fact that a new contract has still to be confirmed and is confident that the England international will be staying at Anfield.

"It's something the club are speaking to his representatives about," Rodgers said in his press conference on Thursday. "I would think that would be concluded very imminently.

"The player's very happy. He's working. It's nothing to do with Raheem. He wants to be here. So we hope we'll get the solution on that very soon."

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Sterling has recently returned from a mid-season break in his birthplace of Jamaica, having been given time off by the club to prevent him from burning out after a hectic 2014 that saw him become an England regular and force his way into their World Cup squad.

Reports in December suggested that he had rejected an offer of £70,000 a week, which is believed to be more than double his current salary. Recent reports claim that his new deal will be worth closer to £100,000 a week.

Rodgers has always stated his belief that Sterling is happy to stay on Merseyside, even though Real Madrid and Bayern Munich have been linked with him.

The Liverpool boss sees the winger as having a key role to play in a side he believes will be able to challenge for the Premier League title next term.

He feels that, even though the club finished second last May, a title tilt was never on the cards this season because of the difficulties of integrating eight new signings into his squad, while coping with the loss of Luis Suarez to Barcelona.

Rodgers' priorities for this season are to secure a top-four Premier League finish - and Champions League qualification - along with winning the club's first trophy since their 2012 League Cup success.

He has indicated that he will make several changes for Saturday's FA Cup fourth-round tie against Bolton, and will give young forward Jordan Rossiter a chance to play.

Mario Balotelli could also be recalled after struggling with a chest infection midweek, while midfielder Joe Allen is training fully after recovering from a knee problem.

Despite pledging to make changes to keep his squad fresh, Rodgers insists he is serious about winning the FA Cup.

He said: "This season was always going to be difficult. The reality for us for this year was: Could we finish in the top four? With all the changes and everything that happened, we weren't going to challenge for the league this year. That's the reality.

"I feel that if we could get through this year with the players and the integration of everyone, and look to win a trophy, then we'll be ready to challenge for the title next year.

"This year was about looking to get into the top four, trying to minimise the impact of so many new signings, give them the time to develop, and then targeting a trophy in the cup competitions. That's something that's very much in our focus."

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