Chelsea are rumored to be interested in signing Raheem Sterling this summer. The Blues, according to the Telegraph, are the English club that has shown the most interest in the England international thus far.
The summer transfer market opens tomorrow (Friday), and Chelsea’s first few months under new ownership are expected to be frenetic. The club is anticipated to have a number of outgoings, as well as incomings, as Thomas Tuchel seeks to assemble a side capable of challenging Manchester City and Liverpool in the Premier League next season.
Following the revelation that Romelu Lukaku wants to leave the club this summer, the Blues have been connected with a slew of attackers in recent days. Football.london knows that Gabriel Jesus is a target, but it appears that one of the Brazilian’s City teammates, Sterling, is also on the radar.
: Raheem Sterling has already told Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel what he requires to complete his deal.
Sterling, who has one year left on his Man City deal, is garnering interest from all across Europe, according to the article (see above). Real Madrid is thought to be keeping a close eye on the situation, but Chelsea appears to be the most interested of the English clubs.
Sterling has been a revelation in Manchester during his nearly seven years there, scoring 91 goals in 225 Premier League appearances. The 27-year-old, though, has not been promised a starting spot in Pep Guardiola’s team this season, with City boasting a plethora of excellent strikers.
The England international has established himself as one of the league’s most dangerous attackers during his tenure at City. Despite playing on the wing, he’s developed a knack for finding himself in the correct area and has almost transformed into a poacher in front of goal.
When speaking about Sterling after England’s 4-0 triumph over Ukraine at Euro 2020 last summer, former Chelsea manager Frank Lampard described the Blues target as “world-class.” “He’s amazing,” he told BBC Sport. As a player, I adore him.
“He’s had a dip in form, and he’ll admit that, but what we’re seeing now is the player we’ve seen for the last three years. If I’m talking to a young, wannabe winger now who wants to play, he’s an example on the pitch and off the pitch.
“He’s had tough times, but he’s coming through it, and he looks like a man. He’s simply a world-class athlete.”
Rio Ferdinand, who was working alongside Lampard for BBC at the Euros, added: “He’s undoubtedly been our [England’s] best player at this tournament, our most effective player. He has a tough demeanor about him. He’s mentioned in that VT [before the game] there that he’s had criticism during his career. He’s always responded to criticism with a retort.
“He’s very single-minded, he’s focused, he thinks about, not just the pitch, but there’s other things that come into play. The mentality, the understanding of what he needs to do off the pitch in terms of preparation and recovery, the detail he goes into to make sure he plays and performs at this level continuously.”
Something that could dent Chelsea’s hopes of landing Sterling this summer is that he admitted in October 2021 that he would consider moving abroad at one stage in his career. With Real Madrid reportedly interested, the Jamaica-born winger could favour a switch to the Spanish capital.
He said last year: “If there was the option to go somewhere else for more game time, I would be open to it. As an English player, all I know is the Premier League, and I’ve always thought: ‘You know, maybe one day I’d love to play abroad and see how I would come up against that challenge.'”
