Raheem Sterling to Manchester City: £50m transfer could be completed mid-pre-season tour

Manchester City fly to Australia on Thursday and had wanted to seal switch before then

Raheem Sterling (GETTY IMAGES)

Manchester City are reportedly open to Raheem Sterling joining them mid-pre-season tour if no deal can be struck with Liverpool before they depart for Australia on Thursday.

Manuel Pellegrini's side have already had two bids for the England international rejected, the latest of which was around £40m.

Liverpool want £50m for the 20-year-old, a fee that Manchester City are expected to come close to meeting.

They had wanted to seal the transfer before departing on their pre-season tour of Australia on Thursday, where they will play Roma and Real Madrid.

However it's appearing increasingly unlikely that a deal will be done prior to that, but according to reports Pellegrini is open to Sterling joining his squad during the trip Down Under to ensure the forward has as much time as possible to integrate before the start of the Premier League season.

Sterling linked up with Liverpool yesterday for pre-season training but maintains that he wants to leave Anfield this summer having already rejected a £100,000-a-week offer to stay.