A major update on the ongoing efforts of Chelsea to land Raheem Sterling from Premier League rivals Manchester City has been provided on Thursday afternoon.
Surprise speculation linking wide-man Sterling with a move to west London, of course, first began to surface across the media earlier this month.
Amid the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the futures of all of Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic, Chelsea are understood to have identified Sterling as a potential addition to the club’s attacking ranks ahead of next season.
The English international often found himself on the outside looking in when it came to City’s most important fixtures this past season, sitting behind the likes of Riyad Mahrez and Phil Foden in Pep Guardiola’s attacking pecking order.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – MAY 22: Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez celebrate with the Premier League trophy after the Premier League match between Manchester City and Aston Villa at Etihad Stadium on May 22, 2022 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
With just a year remaining on his contract at the Etihad, it would therefore make sense for the transfer team on the blue half of Manchester to look into the possibility of moving Sterling on this summer, to avoid potentially losing him for nothing in 12 months’ time.
And, if the latest word stemming from the media on Thursday is anything to go by, then a deal to send the 27-year-old to Stamford Bridge now appears closer than ever.
As per a report from the reliable Simon Phillips, the transfer is understood to be ‘all agreed’ between Chelsea and City.
Not only that, but personal terms are also understood to have been ironed out between Sterling and the Blues, making the move as good as imminent.
One potential hold-up in the deal actually being pushed over the line, though, could come in the form of Chelsea’s interest in another member of Pep Guardiola’s squad.
A double swoop could yet be on the cards in west London, with Thomas Tuchel also keen to land ex-Pensioners stopper Nathan Ake.
Been told by two strong sources now that the deal is all agreed for Raheem Sterling. A hold up may or may not be whether we are trying to do Ake as well as a double deal. But deal and terms agreed for Sterling.
— Simon Phillips (@siphillipssport) June 30, 2022
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