Chelsea is convinced that they will be able to recruit Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling this summer, as long as a cost can be agreed with the Premier League winners.
Chelsea is apparently interested in signing Raheem Sterling. The winger, who is in the final year of his contract with the English champions, may be the first significant acquisition for the Blues this summer.
‘Raheem Sterling was linked with a £35 million transfer to Chelsea over the weekend, as the 27-year-old continues to be unsure about his Manchester City future.
With only a year left on his current deal at the Etihad Stadium, the England international is assessing his alternatives before committing to anything long-term.
Chelsea and Sterling
Todd Boehly, the new owner of Chelsea, has identified City and England striker Sterling as the club’s top summer transfer priority and believes a deal can be struck.
Sterling is in the final year of his City contract and is interested in returning to London, where he has lived since the age of five, to play for Thomas Tuchel’s team.
Real Madrid has long been linked with Sterling, but Chelsea has emerged as a genuine candidate to sign the 27-year-old, who might be available for £50 million this summer.
Sterling, who joined City from Liverpool for £49 million in 2014, is expected to see fewer starts as a result of City’s double signing of Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez.
Sterling is a great fan of Thomas Tuchel, who believes the attacker is more suited to Chelsea’s style of play than Romelu Lukaku, who is poised to return to the previous club Inter Milan on loan next season.
City, on the other hand, is said to value Sterling at up to £60 million, despite the fact that he only has one year left on his deal at the Etihad.
Chelsea, on the other hand, believes a more reasonable price would be closer to the £35 million that Bayern Munich may spend for Liverpool forward Sadio Mane. Mane, like Sterling, has only a year and a half remaining on his Liverpool contract, although he is two years and eight months older at 30.
He has 131 goals and 10 major trophies since joining the club from Liverpool, including four Premier League crowns. Despite failing to win the Champions League, Sterling has cemented his place in City history over the previous seven years.
Sterling’s exit, though, might prompt the need to bring in a competent successor, given Guardiola’s insistence on keeping competition for spots fierce.
The city wants a price for Sterling this summer rather than letting him depart for free in a year’s time since his contract expires in a year’s time. Sterling was expected to depart City just to test himself in a different league and country, with La Liga emerging as his favored destination.
Sterling is now eager to stay in the Premier League, and Chelsea is willing to give him consistent playing time under Tuchel. Sterling’s hesitation to sign a new contract with City stems from his opinion that, given the fresh additions to the Premier League winners’ roster, he would not be a significant part of Pep Guardiola’s plans in the future.
Guardiola has always stated that he does not want to keep unhappy players, and City is unlikely to object if Sterling tells them he wants to go this summer.
With Guardiola now having ample backup up front and in wide offensive positions, Gabriel Jesus, who still has a year remaining on his contract, is ready to leave City for Arsenal, where he will get more regular playing time.
The 27-year-old has made 339 appearances for the current Premier League winners, scoring 131 goals and finishing just outside the top 10 all-time goal scorers.
However, Sterling has not always been assured a starting position under Pep Guardiola. This season, the England winger has started only five of a potential 12 Champions League games, while City’s Spanish boss played him only nine times in the Premier League the previous season.
Sterling began his career at Queens Park Rangers, Chelsea’s west London rivals, before joining Liverpool at the age of 15. Chelsea supporters have been concerned about the club’s lack of transfer activity in comparison to its competitors.
Raheem Sterling And His Family Tie & History
Raheem Sterling is a football fanatic. He wishes to be a part of the action. He’s been an integral part of Manchester City‘s success, winning four Premier League crowns, four League Cups, the FA Cup, and a runner-up finish in the Champions League. He has 77 England caps and has played a key role in their success.
We all know the World Cup is coming up in November and December, and while Sterling hasn’t been a regular starter for City this season, Gareth Southgate and Sterling will be interested in the guaranteed football.
In London, he has that familial tie and history. This will be a major consideration in this circumstance. Chelsea is a major player in the Premier League, having won several titles.
That’s exactly what Sterling intends to do: Play at the top of your game. He wouldn’t just be returning home; he’d be joining a successful team with new owners who want to keep winning.
This will be a fascinating narrative that will unfold during the summer, but the initial steps have already been taken.
Is This Deal Beneficial For The City?
With all of these accolades, it’s perplexing that City is allegedly eager to let Sterling go this summer, but it’s evident that this move would be in the best interests of the player, not the teams.
With Gabriel Jesus on the verge of being sold, City would be severely lacking in attacking areas, therefore allowing them both to depart might prove to be a massive error.
Both Sterling and Jesus have exceptional levels of athleticism when it comes to their unique qualities. Their ability to shrug off defenders and handle the ball in tight circumstances, despite their diminutive size, is a headache for Premier League defenses and adds a distinct aspect to City’s assault.
For this reason, Sterling and Jesus are frequently found on the same team sheet. The Brazilian’s tenacious pressing in the closing stages of the season was important to City’s title push, and Sterling’s addition to the club further added to that.
Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva, for example, may use their energy to drive up the field and exploit the gaps left behind.
Looking around the rest of the squad, no one can consistently demonstrate that attribute. The lock-picking strikers, such as Jack Grealish, Phil Foden, and Riyad Mahrez, are good against clubs that use the low block, but there’s a reason Jesus is frequently used just against Liverpool: his athletic ability.
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There is a case to be made that Julian Alvarez may replace that need, but trusting one player, who has moved from Argentina to England at the age of 22, to produce at the same level as Sterling has for the past few years is a tall order.
With a rigorous World Cup schedule ahead of them, City should do everything they can to keep one of Jesus or Sterling. With the former now out of the picture, the Blues must focus on acquiring the latter on a long-term deal that includes guarantees of consistent playing time.
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