Raheem Sterling on his way to Manchester City after Liverpool agree £49m fee

• Manchester City have finally landed Raheem Sterling after Liverpool accepted a £49m bid
• Deal involves a guaranteed £45m, with an additional £4m in add-ons  
• Manuel Pelegrini had made the England winger his No 1 transfer target 
• Sterling had angered Reds fans and former captain Steven Gerrard by refusing to go on pre-season tour and twice calling in sick from training 
• Click HERE for all the latest transfer news  

By Sami Mokbel

Published: 12:04 EST, 12 July 2015 | Updated: 19:14 EST, 12 July 2015

Manchester City will finally complete their protracted swoop for Liverpool forward Raheem Sterling this week, in deal worth up to £49million.

The Etihad Stadium club made the key breakthrough in discussions for the wantaway attacker over the weekend and are on the brink of landing their No 1 summer target.

The deal will see City pay their Barclays Premier League rivals a guaranteed £45million. 

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Manchester City have had a third bid of £49m agreed for Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling

A mock up of how Sterling may look once he completes his move to the Etihad Stadium

Manuel Pellegrini has made the England international his No 1 transfer target this summer

Sterling was left behind as Brendan Rodgers (right) took his team on their pre-season tour of Asia 

An additional £4million in add-ons has also been negotiated, which would take the fee close to Liverpool's £50million valuation.

Liverpool are said to be satisfied with the obtainability of the proposed £4million in extras and are confident Sterling will meet the targets.

Sterling will formally negotiate personal terms before undergoing a medical at City this week.

An agreement over a pay package, however, is understood to be a formality, with Sterling set to earn considerably more than the £100,000-per-week deal he rejected at Anfield.

The deal is the seventh most expensive transfer involving a British club.

Once completed, Sterling, whose Liverpool contract does not expire until 2017, will become the most expensive English player in history.

A recent study rated the 20-year-old as the most valuable young player in European football ahead of Paris St-Germain defender Marquinhos and Manchester United's new winger Memphis Depay.  

The agreement between City and Liverpool ends one of the most unsavoury transfer sagas in recent memory.

Sterling has made no secret of his intention to leave Anfield for Manchester ahead of next season.

But Liverpool's insistence that City would have to meet their £50million valuation threatened to scupper Sterling's hopes of a move.

City have seen two previous offers turned down by Liverpool; one of £35million and the other for £40million. Both deals also included £5million of trophy-related add-ons. 

Pellegrini was determined to land the rising England star, which bolsters City's homegrown quota

Steven Gerrard has hit out at Sterling, saying there isn't 'any need for' his behaviour towards the club

The soap opera took a further twist last week after Sterling missed two consecutive days of pre-season training.

The 20-year-old's absence was viewed by some as a deliberate attempt to force through a move to City, though Sterling returned to training on Friday.

Sterling's proposed switch to City was always going to reach a critical juncture this weekend with Liverpool scheduled to fly out for the pre-season tour of Asia.

The England star was reluctant to board the plane given his wish to leave the club.

But City's success in clinching a deal avoided a potentially awkward stand-off between Sterling and Liverpool over the club's summer tour. 

Sterling competes with Manchester City defender Gael Clichy (right) in Liverpool's 3-1 defeat last season

Liverpool made the decision not to take Sterling on their pre-season tour as the saga drew to a conclusion

Sterling's relationship with Brendan Rodgers (right) has become strained by the protracted transfer

Sterling arrived at the club's Melwood training HQ on Saturday where he was told he would not be required to travel to Thailand.

He took the opportunity to bid farewell to his Reds team-mates, who will now be his direct rivals next season.

Liverpool are required to hand Queens Park Rangers close to £9million as part of the Sterling's move to Anfield from Loftus Road in 2010.

Sterling signed for £500,000, and Liverpool agreed to pay QPR 20 percent of any profit from the forward's next move.  

Sterling came under criticism from former Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard earlier this week due to his recent behaviour. 

Once completed, the move will see Sterling become the most expensive British player in history

The England international has been rated as the most valuable player in Europe by a recent study

Gerrard, speaking to Sky Sports News, said: 'I'm not happy with all that carry-on. He needs to go in and see the owners. You don't have to throw in illness, or refuse to go on tour.

'There are millions of Liverpool fans waiting to see Raheem pull on a Liverpool shirt.

'It looks very disappointing from where I'm sat. The fans have shown him great support, they want him to stay and I believe that he should too.

'It's very difficult for me to sit here and support him and the team around him...what they're trying to do with his career at a young age.

'It'll be a terrible shame if he goes somewhere and doesn't kick on as a player.

'It's slightly disappointing how far the situation has gone - but the only way I can see for him is out at the moment.'  

Raheem Sterling booed by Liverpool fans after Aidy Ward comments

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