Liverpool to Receive Further Payment as Raheem Sterling Nears Transfer Clause Activation

Liverpool are set to receive an additional £500,000 in transfer clause add-ons from Manchester City's purchase of winger Raheem Sterling for an initial fee of £44m in the summer of 2015.

The deal could reach £49m (after a further £5m in add-ons) by the end of the season, subject to Sterling achieving certain criteria in his transfer clause, which includes silverware and appearance-related requirements.

Sterling joined the Citizens three years ago from the Reds to become the most expensive English player of all time.

Despite his fine recent performances earning Sterling a new five-year contract (reportedly worth £300,000 a week), the 23-year-old is yet to meet all of the terms in the additional £5m pay-out by City to Liverpool.

According to the Evening Standard, the agreement with the Reds means that City will have to pay £500,000 each time the winger makes 30 starts in the Premier League and Champions League, as well as £1.5m for Champions League success and £1m for league success.

Sterling now needs seven more starts to trigger another £500,000 instalment to Liverpool.

Sterling has made 91 league starts for the Sky Blues and 22 in the Champions League (a total of 113). His side have already paid £2.5m on top of the original transfer free, with £1m of the sum stemming from their Premier League title success last season.

The cost may be a a small price to pay, considering the winger has quickly established himself as one of Europe's stand-out players.

With Sterling completing 120 starts for the Etihad outfit, it would see the overall appearance-related pay-out reach £2m and the total pay-out reach £3m. Moreover, should Pep Guardiola's side complete a league and European double, it would complete the required £2m transaction in add-ons and take the final transfer sum to £49m.