Mike Keegan For Mailonline

Manchester City will make a second bid for Raheem Sterling – but are determined not to pay over the odds for the Liverpool forward.

The Anfield club turned down a verbal offer of £25million plus £5m add-ons for the England international and have insisted they will not sell.

However, City will further test their resolve with an improved bid as manager Manuel Pellegrini looks to freshen his squad after they finished second to Chelsea in last season’s Premier League.

Raheem Sterling, pictured in training for England on Thursday, is set to leave Liverpool this summer 

Raheem Sterling, pictured in training for England on Thursday, is set to leave Liverpool this summer 

Sterling was offered a £100,000-a-week contract to remain at Liverpool, but opted to turn it down

Sterling was offered a £100,000-a-week contract to remain at Liverpool, but opted to turn it down

Senior officials at the Etihad Stadium are keen on Sterling but are determined not to shell out more than market value for the 20-year-old, whose form has dipped recently.

They see Liverpool’s £50m plus valuation as unrealistic for a player who was recently offered a new contract worth £100,000-a-week.

No ceiling has been disclosed but it is unlikely that City would go anywhere near that price.

City’s rivals United were reported to have an expressed an interest in Sterling but Sportsmail understands that is not the case.

Earlier this week chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak vowed to bring in ‘high quality talent’ to allow the 2013-14 champions to challenge on all fronts.

Chief executive Ferrna Soriano and director of football Txiki Begiristain are braced for a relentless summer as they battle it out against some of the biggest clubs in Europe for the Continent’s hottest properties – including Wolfsburg’s Kevin De Bruyne and Juventus’s Paul Pogba.

According to Gazetta dello Sport City have offered the Turin giants £58m for former United starlet Pogba but their interest is not yet thought to have got to a formal stage.

The 20-year-old is wanted by Manchester City as they bid to reclaim the Premier League title 

The 20-year-old is wanted by Manchester City as they bid to reclaim the Premier League title 

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