Manchester City finally made the breakthrough in their pursuit of Liverpool's Raheem Sterling after relaxing their stipulations over add-ons in the most expensive deal ever for an English player, sources have told ESPN FC.
City agreed a fee of £44 million up front and a further £5m payable in add-ons on Sunday in what has been the most protracted transfer of this summer's transfer window.
But, with the two clubs wrangling over how the fee would be paid, sources have told ESPN FC that City relaxed their initial proposal for the add-ons to make it easier for Sterling to meet and ensure Liverpool receive the £49m sum quicker.
The initial add-ons were dependent on City being successful in the Premier League and Champions League, but now City have agreed to pay the additional money when Sterling meets a set number of appearances instead.
As revealed by ESPN FC last month, City's hierarchy had given the green light for the club to meet Liverpool's £50m valuation for Sterling as they had made him one of their top targets this summer.
The Etihad club saw their first two bids of £30m and £40m plus add-ons for Sterling rejected by Liverpool as the Merseysiders held out for a fee closer to their valuation. Part of the reason that Liverpool wanted more money up front was the fact that Queens Park Rangers are entitled to a 20 percent sell-on fee from the player's time at Loftus Road.
Sterling joined Liverpool from QPR's academy in 2010 and although he never played a game for the club they inserted the sell-on fee as part of the deal that took him to Liverpool.
It means the Championship club are set for a windfall of £9.8m from the sale of Sterling to City.