Chelsea are set to complete the deal to sign Raheem Sterling from Manchester City imminently, according to a number of sources. The fixed part of the fee for the 27-year-old was agreed at £45 million last week, and the structure of the add-ons is currently being thrashed out. It is believed the total worth of the transfer could amount to £55m, and the personal terms between Chelsea and Sterling have also been agreed.
With City boss Pep Guardiola prone to rotating his forwards in previous seasons, Sterling’s place in the team hasn’t been guaranteed for a long time now and it seems he isn’t too happy about that. For his part, Guardiola has always insisted that he has no intention of forcing unhappy players to be at the club, providing the club’s valuation of their services is met.
With 337 appearances, 131 goals and 94 assists in all competitions for the reigning Premier League champions since his arrival from Liverpool in 2015, Sterling obviously represents a significant attacking threat. Signing the 77-cap England international for £55m at his age and with his experience is likely to prove a great move for Chelsea.
As for City, they’ve completed the signing of Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund, which indicates certain changes might be afoot when it comes to Guardiola’s tactical approach. It seems City will finally be playing with a recognized centre-forward again, with 22-year-old Julian Alvarez also in their ranks from now on.
As a result, Gabriel Jesus has already left and joined Arsenal, and Sterling is the next name on the list of attackers ready for a change of scenery.
Chelsea will complete the signing of Raheem Sterling today. A verbal agreement has been in place since last week for a £45 million deal with add ons finalised this week. Deal could rise close to £55 million. Clubs always confident of a sale since never too far apart in valuation.
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) July 7, 2022
