Sterling has moved on from hefty transfer fee

Raheem Sterling is no longer concerned by the hefty transfer fee that sealed his protracted switch from Liverpool to Manchester City during the close season.

Sterling became the most expensive English footballer in history when he swapped Anfield for the Etihad Stadium and the public wrangling that proceeded the transfer has led to the forward regularly being booed by opposition fans during his fledgling City career.

Having scored eight times in 23 appearances for Manuel Pellegrini’s men, the 21-year-old is at ease in his new surroundings and feels he has moved on from his pre-season saga.

“It’s gone out of my head now,” he told the BBC’s Football Focus. “I’m in a new place and I feel like I’m at home.

“When I come into training I don’t think of that fee, I just think about coming in and doing the best for my club, trying to repay the people who have had faith in me.

“That’s something I will be trying to do in the near future.”

The extent to which Sterling and his team-mates can repay that faith this season could become clearer over the
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coming weeks as City prepare for trips to Arsenal and Leicester City – the only teams above them in the Premier League table.

“Who are the favourites? Man City,” Sterling added. “I think we’re the team to top it at the end of the season, most definitely.”