Liverpool have slapped a £60 million price-tag on wantaway midfielder Raheem Sterling. The Mail on Sunday says Sterling has informed Liverpool he wants to leave this summer.

Sterling made the demand in a phone call to Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre on Thursday after the club called off summit talks with the player and his agent over his future.

Ayre is understood to have told Sterling that he must see out the remaining two years of his £35,000-a-week contract on Merseyside, and Liverpool maintain publicly that the 20-year-old is not for sale at any price.

Privately, however, they are understood to be drawing up a contingency plan if it becomes clear that the player will have to go amid strong interest from Manchester City and the possibility of rival bids from Chelsea and Arsenal.