Both sides here have a position of strength/weakness (depending on which way you look at it) in regards negotiating a fee. We are in need of more homegrown players, who can be more than just a squad filler, and Stirling is pretty much the only option out there for us, as its been pointed out before, English top level talent is very much thin on the ground. And obviously Liverpool know this.
However, the funny part about our strength/Liverpool's weakness, is that it is entirely of their own making. The minute they started to realise that he wasnt signing the new contract they're reaction was to put pressure on him by leaking things to the press, putting the spin on it that he was another ungrateful upstart just being greedy and after more money, all the ex dipper players coming out en masse to repeatedly throw down our necks how any young player should just be honoured to play for them, and there is no better place to develop in the whole Universe, how dare he want to actually go somewhere to try and win something etc, etc.
All the time, the wedge between club and player getting bigger and bigger. Imagine for a moment (this will be difficult, if not impossible), that they acted with some degree of class, and had kept the contract negotiations and any Sterling/Rodgers fall outs out of the public eye, then they would now hold a much stronger position at the negotiating table and could easily hold out for the full £50m (probably much more even).
Will Liverpool see a little sense and realise they have shot themselves in the foot to the tune of around £10m, and accept our "final" final offer? Will they remain stubborn to the point of keeping an unhappy player, who could then end up leaving for peanuts in a years time? Or will we give in and just pay the £50m?
Hopefully its the first option. We get the player we want/need whilst not being held to ransom over the price which would send a good message out to other teams hoping to bend us over for the premium City tax that we've forked out over previous years.
