text: Sam Allardyce has warned Brendan Rodgers that putting Raheem Sterling on a bumper new contract could cause a ripple effect across the rest of the Liverpool squad. The West Ham manager feels paying Sterling more than the £100,000-per-week deal he was already offered would lead to the 20-year-old's team-mates demanding more. Yet Allardyce does not blame Sterling, currently on £35,000 a week at Liverpool, for trying to get as much as possible. Big Sam feels there are so few talented youngsters emerging that clubs are willing to pay extraordinary wages to sign any available. Liverpool and England star Raheem Sterling has stalled over signing a new contract at the Anfield club . Sam Allardyce believes that giving Sterling a bumper deal could risk unsettling the other Liverpool players . Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers (right) is extremely keen to keep hold of one of the club's best players . 'When the supply is far less than the demand, then you've got very big demands from the youngster, who is a very talented youngster because there are not enough about,' Allardyce said. 'Not just in the country but in Europe in general, if not in the world. 'The demand is out there. The supply is minimal. A lot less than we want it to be. Hence that gives it a value. When that comes around it's very difficult for a football club not to pay that level of finance that they then demand. 'It reflects down the way from there on in, by the fact that the more the money goes up at the top end the more everybody else wants going down below that.' Allardyce feels if a club were to buy the England international, who currently has two years left on his contract at Liverpool, then they would not only be getting a player, but a brand. 'If a player is in his position like Raheem Sterling, then you're going to look at his value,' Allardyce added. 'Not just his value on the pitch but his value in branding. 'You have to remember that we're hitting 950 million viewers every weekend. The agents and his advisers look at the value of that to the football club, and the value of that to him and their brand, and they ask for that sort of money.' Sterling drags the ball back ahead of the oncoming challenge from Lithuania's Georgas Freidgeimas (left) Sterling scored his first goal for England during the 4-0 win in the Euro 2016 qualifier against Lithuania . Big Sam was speaking ahead of West Ham's match with the Barclays Premier League's bottom-club Leicester City on Saturday. The game will see Allardyce reunited with Leicester manager Nigel Pearson after they worked together at Newcastle United in 2007. Pearson has been involved in several controversial incidents this season, including grabbing Crystal Palace's James McArthur by the throat and losing his cool with a reporter during a press conference. It added to speculation Pearson will be sacked but Allardyce defended the man that was once a coach under him at St James' Park. 'Nigel was there (at Newcastle) when I arrived and we worked very well together in that short period of time,' Allardyce said. 'I always thought he was management material and I think he left just after I left, then moved into management and has been very successful. 'I suppose in the end Nigel is a very, very, very, very honest man. He says it how it is. Perhaps that's sometimes the wrong thing to do publicly, but he knows who he is. He knows what he wants. He knows how to try to achieve it.' Leicester City boss Nigel Pearson (left) has been involved in a number of controversial incidents this season .
target: West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has warned Brendan Rodgers that any bumper deal offered to Raheem Sterling could upset other Liverpool players .
  Sterling has recently rejected terms of £100,000 per week at the Anfield club .
  The England international is widely regarded as one of the best young talents this country has to offer .
  Speaking ahead of West Ham's game with Leicester, Allardyce also took time to defend under-fire Foxes boss Nigel Pearson .
  Pearson was part of Allardyce's coaching staff when he managed Newcastle .