COMMENT: Accept Manchester City's offer. That's the best thing Liverpool can do today. Even if it's £10 million short of their valuation for Raheem Sterling, just take the money and be done with it.
Because it'll happen... just as night follows day... the pendulum will swing back and it'll be the reputation of Liverpool on the floor and not Sterling's.
It's already starting. He's had to change his mobile number three times in the last 12 months with it making its way online. The latest episode was this week, with Sterling waking to find over 3,200 abusive messages on his phone.
There's a belief inside the Sterling camp that this is coming from Liverpool's end. Just as they're angered by details of conversations between Sterling and manager Brendan Rodgers making it to the press. For now, Sterling is still the villain, but public opinion can quickly change. If the anonymous piling on continues from Anfield, along with the monstering he's copped from the Boot Room in the media, then Sterling will soon transform from villain to victim.
The Boot Room have queued up this past week to take aim at the 20 year-old. John Aldridge, Didi Hamann, Jamie Carragher, Jim Beglin - even Steven Gerrard yesterday - have all had their say. Carragher warned Sterling about 'gaining a reputation' as a troublemaker. But Liverpool are also putting their reputation at risk the longer they draw out this saga.
If management haven't kicked off an internal investigation into how Sterling's number - multiple times - has found it's way into the public domain, then that's a disgrace. Perhaps Liverpool employees aren't responsible at all. But the club should still be making every effort to help find the culprit. It's now out there that Sterling's camp believe it's an inside job. For a club of Liverpool's history, it's reputation and it's values, they need to nail this one down.
To the fans' credit, this week's news about the abusive messages has been condemned by many. Sure, there's the 'I hate it, but...' crowd gleefully celebrating the abuse, with the message 'I hate trolling, but when it comes to Sterling...".
But there's also a large section of Liverpool's online support who have denounced the abuse. Despite being let down and the feelings of betrayal, there's still many who won't indulge in this type of behaviour at the club's expense.
And it will come at the club's expense. The battle lines are drawn. They have been for some time. And on Liverpool's side, now, are all those 'fans', who left those abusive messages. For he moment, they've been drowned out by the right-minded. But who or what will next emerge to claim they're in Liverpool's corner?
Even if FSG believe Sterling will forever be the villain, in practical terms, it just makes sense to do a deal now. The longer they wait, the less time they have to use the money raised to strengthen Rodgers' team. Liverpool have their replacement - Roberto Firmino (who could even be an upgrade) - but need the Sterling cash with other positions needing to be addressed.
It's not just Sterling who wants the deal done. Many of his teammates are also eager to see him sold to City. The conversation is now not about if Raheem will stay, but who will Rodgers buy once he is sold. After the arrivals of Firmino and James Milner, particularly, there's a real buzz at Melwood about the new-look team Rodgers' is putting together.
Indeed, Sterling crying off from training this week has been seen by many as a bonus. With preseason kicking off, the excitement around the new arrivals, there was a feeling that his presence would be a downer. Which is all the more reason for Liverpool to do a deal today.
Gerrard, even on the other side of the world, spoke more sense than most when asked about the Sterling saga this morning. He called on his former teammate to 'man up' and make it clear to Rodgers what he wants. In other words, if you want to leave, just make the transfer request.
What all this drama has again highlighted is the void Gerrard has left at Anfield. We know Sterling's mind is made up. But if there was any chance of a U-turn - just as Luis Suarez performed two years ago - who currently at Liverpool could help clinch the commitment?
FSG must accept they've lost the player. When City deliver their final offer later today, they must accept it. There's much more at stake than 5 million quid.
