Raheem Sterling is hopeful that he will put pen to paper on a new contract with Liverpool "soon" following months of negotiations.

The England international's future has been a large talking point for the majority of the season due to reports that the 20-year-old has rejected numerous offers from the club.

It has been widely reported that the starlet, who has been linked to Spanish giants Real Madrid, is holding out for a significant wage increase.

When asked by the Liverpool Echo for an update on his contract situation, Sterling said: "We're working on it and hopefully it will be sorted soon."

The youngster managed to push Liverpool to all three points against Southampton on Sunday as he scored the second goal in a 2-0 victory at St Mary's, which has put the club just two points below fourth-placed Manchester United in the Premier League table.

"We knew we were top-four material from the start of the season," Sterling told the newspaper. "Obviously, it didn't go as planned at the start but now we're showing what we can do.

"Credit to the boys, we just keep to need keep performing and keep fighting and then we'll definitely get to where we want to be."

Liverpool's next game in the league is at home to champions Manchester City on Sunday.