Liverpool will not be selling Raheem Sterling to Southampton Football Club as they confirm that he will not be sold to one of their main rivals.
Southampton Football Club are ready to test Liverpool's resolve to keep Raheem Sterling in the coming weeks although the Merseyside club are still adamant that they wont sell to one of their biggest rivals.
An alleged Saints spokesman is rumoured to have been speaking tongue in cheek when he said.
"No one is forcing Brendon Rodgers to sell his best players"
"They have a choice as a club,"
"They don't have to sell. You have a choice. Maybe Liverpool's objectives have changed. They were looking to be a Champions League club, I believe."
"They obviously wanted to change. . There might be one or two others who leave. It's just the way it works."
It all sounds very familiar to Liverpool fans who will feel they have heard it all before somewhere, back then they found it funny but they arent laughing now !
But Brendon Rodgers is certain Sterling won't want to leave and if he does then certainly he will not allow him to go to a club that Liverpool will be vying with next season for League places, that means Saints, Stoke and Swansea will get short thrift should they try and enquire after Sterling.
However it does spell good news for Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal who it appears now have the green light to go for the player given Rodgers thoughts on players and their ambitions.
A year ago he bleated.
"Luke Shaw was probably disappointed and sad to leave Southampton but he's gone to what he would deem to be a bigger club.
"The guys have come here because of the status of Liverpool and Champions League football. And it's hard to deny players that and that will always be the case; young talents coming through at clubs. The clubs will do the very best they can.
"I think lots of chairmen and directors and executives understand that. Now you know that, if it comes along, all they can do is maximise what they can get for the talent and look to invest to go again. "
Words that will now come back to haunt Rodgers over the coming weeks/months as he tries to rebuild his tarnished reputation after a season when he failed to take a well fancied Saints reserve side to any sort of glory and was left wishing that he had also purchased a tug boat from Southampton Docks given that Dejan Lovren had the same turning circle as the Queen Mary 2.
In the meantime whilst he begs the Fenway Sports Group not to sack him all he can do is brace himself for the phone calls from clubs with managers who know the transfer market and how to get the best out of a player coming a calling.