Raheem Sterling 'can hold Liverpool to RANSOM' with Chelsea, Real and City interested

Sterling is currently stalling over signing fresh terms at Anfield despite being offered an 'incredible' new contract, according to Brendan Rodgers.

Reports earlier this week claimed that Sterling was ready to reject an offer of as much as £180,000-a-week to stay at Liverpool.

And Warnock believes the Reds may have to pay the youngster what he wants or accept that he'll leave, with Chelsea, Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid all said to be interested.

Warnock told talkSPORT: "I don't think they [Sterling and his advisers] have decided where he's going to go yet, but because he's in the driving seat - players are always in the driving seat when they're as good as Sterling - the agents will know if they don't rush into anything, the longer it goes on the more power they have, and more the situation becomes 'pay up or let him go'.

"You can't do much about it as a manager. All you can do is tell him it's the best thing for him and for his career to stay at the club, and all that bull we all come out with but, at the end of the day, it all comes down to money and to the opportunity [available to him].

"I'm sure they don't want him to go. You can't get players like that, you just can't find them without spending multi-millions, so you've got to try to keep him.

"But at the end of the day it's up to the club, and they will have to come up with more money than they think he's worth at the moment.

"They talk about age and say you can't give young lads too much money at that age and things like that, but this is a new world and if you don't give them the money, they're off."