Raheem Sterling is set to undergo his medical in London after Chelsea agreed a £47.5m deal with Manchester City to sign the attacker this summer, according to reports.
Sterling joined City back in 2015 from Liverpool for a then-record fee of £44 million. Since then, he has won the Premier League four times with the Cityzens and scored 131 goals in his 339 appearances.
However, the 27-year-old has just one year left on his contract and Man City have indicated they are ready to cash-in this summer rather than risk losing him for nothing in 12 months. Chelsea have been strongly linked with a move for Sterling in recent weeks and a deal has finally been agreed.
According to the Atheltic, Chelsea have agreed to pay City £47.5m for the winger and Sterling has already agreed personal terms over a five-year contract which includes the option to extend by another year.
Fabrizio Romano says Sterling’s medical has now been booked in London. Once the formalities are out of the way, the attacker will then complete his move back to the capital and join Chelsea on their pre-season tour of the United States.
The England international has had conversations with Thomas Tuchel ahead of the move to Stamford Bridge and is said to be impressed with the German’s vision for how he’ll fit into his plans.
Sterling is keen to play regularly ahead of the World Cup later this year and has seemingly pushed for a move due to concerns over his game-time at City following the arrival of Erling Haaland this summer.
Chelsea have already parted ways with Romeu Lukaku this summer and Hakim Ziyech could now head for the exit door following the capture of Sterling with AC Milan reportedly keen on the Moroccan.
The right option for Chelsea?
For a player who is yet to hit his prime, the West Londoners have found themselves an excellent deal. Sterling is a proven performer in England and will add a genuine goal threat. Since 2017, he has managed to breach the double-digit mark in terms of goals every season.
The Englishman is predominantly a winger but is also capable of playing through the middle as a false 9, so he’ll give Tunchel a versatile option in the final third.
Chelsea are a team that usually plays on the break so Sterling’s pace will be a useful asset. The reason why he was so successful under Pep Guardiola is because of his unpredictability on the flanks. He is almost unbeatable when it comes to 1v1 situations and can either cut inside or stay wide.
