STOKE-ON-TRENT, ENGLAND - Sunday, May 24, 2015: Liverpool's Raheem Sterling runs out to face Stoke City during the Premier League match at the Britannia Stadium. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Raheem Sterling absent as he phones in sick for Liverpool training on Wednesday

Raheem Sterling’s attempts to force through a move away from Liverpool took another embarrassing turn on Wednesday, with the forward absent from training.

STOKE-ON-TRENT, ENGLAND - Sunday, May 24, 2015: Liverpool's Raheem Sterling runs out to face Stoke City during the Premier League match at the Britannia Stadium. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

The Raheem Sterling transfer saga took another turn for the worse for Liverpool supporters as the 20-year-old failed to turn up for training on Wednesday.

Sterling is reported to have phoned in sick for the Reds’ pre-season preparations.

James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo writes: “The wantaway winger, who is trying to force through a move to Manchester City, told staff he was too ill to train.

“The news comes less than 24 hours after it emerged that Sterling has reiterated to Brendan Rodgers his desire to leave and told the manager he doesn’t want to be included in the squad for the forthcoming tour of the Far East and Australia.

“Liverpool declined to comment but normal procedure in these circumstances is that they will send club medical staff around to the player’s house to do an assessment.”

As Pearce mentions, Sterling has told the club that he wishes to remain in England while the Reds travel to Thailand to begin their pre-season tour on Tuesday.

Premier League rivals Manchester City hold a strong interest in the former Queens Park Rangers forward.

It is believed that Liverpool will include Sterling in their tour plans, but a bid of £50 million from City could change things—this would meet the club’s valuation.

Sterling’s attempts to engineer a move away from Merseyside have slipped from understandable to wholly embarrassing.

The lack of decorum shown by the player and his representative is a miserable indictment of modern football.

Liverpool are said to be lining up a move for Barcelona winger Pedro in the event of Sterling’s departure, with Real Madrid’s Denis Cheryshev also linked with a move to Anfield.