Manchester City striker Raheem Sterling is very close to a move to Londoners Chelsea. The 27-year-old has only 1 year left in his active contract with the "citizens", as many other "big" clubs in England and beyond are constantly interested in his card.
If the deal goes through, Sterling will be Chelsea's first major signing since Todd Boehly took over the club. According to BBC sources, the London Blues will hope to finalize the operation before the start of the team's pre-season tour of America. That way, Sterling can join Thomas Tuchel's team and spend more time acclimatising.
Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich were also interested in the forward's services, but the Englishman was pulled back by Chelsea's public desire for his card. Inside sources suggest that City officials wanted the player not to leave, but despite the preliminary agreement with Chelsea, Sterling still maintains a good relationship with manager Pep Guardiola and his team-mates. This is because City has so far respected the player's wishes and has always given him the freedom to express himself about the future.
Sterling will be a very important reinforcement for Chelsea, who will not be available this year Romelu Lukaku. The latter rejoined Inter on loan for the new season. Despite his poor form, the Belgian striker was Chelsea's top scorer last season, with 15 goals in all competitions. This statistic is a clear indication of the need for a striker in Tuchel's team, as neither Kai Havertz nor Mason Mount fully convinced with their performances last season.
