Raheem Sterling’s agent has allegedly confirmed that the 20-year-old won’t sign a new deal at Liverpool under any circumstance and has reportedly labelled Jamie Carragher a “knob”, according to the London Evening Standard.
However, Sky Sports HQ say Ward “denies quotes attributed to him in the Evening Standard and is now taking legal advice about it.”
In an extraordinary interview, the newspaper claims Ward has dismissed recent criticism of him, including that of Carragher on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football.
Sterling’s contract saga has reached new heights this week with the Liverpool attacker expected to formally confirm his desire to leave the club in a meeting with Brendan Rodgers and chief executive Ian Ayre on Friday.
“I don’t care about the PR of the club and the club situation. I don’t care,” he is allegedly quoted by the Standard as saying.
“He is definitely not signing. He’s not signing for £700, £800, £900 thousand a week. He is not signing.
“My job is to make sure I do the best with them (my clients). If people say I am bad at my job, or they are badly advised it does not matter.”
Sterling has been linked with a big money move to the likes to Manchester City and Real Madrid, though he still has two years left on his current deal at Liverpool.
In response to Carragher’s tirade towards Sterling over the furore on Monday, Ward reportedly said, “Carragher is a knob. Everybody knows it. Any of the criticism from current pundits or ex-Liverpool players – none of them things matter to me. It is not relevant.”
Ward also appeared to point a finger of blame towards Liverpool for the way the Sterling contract saga has been played out so publicly. The Standard quote him as adding, “How did this all occur? There is no smoke without fire.”
In a week in which Liverpool are celebrating the career of captain Steven Gerrard and the 10-year anniversary of their Champions League triumph in Istanbul, Sterling has dominated the headlines.
Reports on Wednesday suggested the club’s owners Fenway Sports Group are prepared to “play hardball” and hold firm to deny Sterling a move this summer.
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